Even in Death
by MaddCricket
Summary: Falling in love with the living is hard. You can't hold them. -Though lovers be lost, love shall not; And death shall have no dominion. -Dylan Thomas
1. Half-Blood Ghost

Severus Snape sat at the top of a hill that overlooked the Hogwarts grounds. The wind blew right through him and he shifted his robe around him though it made no difference. Dying had left him cold, the kind of a cold he couldn't shake even if he tried. His fingers were the kind of numb one felt after laying on them for too long, and he had still to learn how to achieve balancing his visibility properly. Maybe this was the wrong choice? Maybe he should have remained behind, sitting on the warm beach he had found himself on, the sun kissing his skin and taken the cute little thing in the bikini up on that offer, but something had tugged at him.

Feeling out of place in his little Heaven, returning became the only option and before he had a chance to change his mind, the paradise that surrounded him had quickly faded. The Palm trees were quickly replaced with the crumbling walls of Hogwarts, the shimmering ocean with a murky lake, and the sand dunes with scorched grass.

_Well damn._

Far from anywhere he would consider Paradise, and not exactly glad to see that tugging feeling had brought him back to the place he had felt trapped in even before dying, Severus could only hope he had come here by mistake.

_Fuck_.

He had yet to become accustomed to gliding, and found himself walking unnecessarily over the ground, growing closer to the rubble of what used to be the Grand Entrance. He could just make out the tall archway, the doors no more and the brick crumbling around him. He flinched as part of the ceiling crashed through him, straight down through him. It sent a shiver up his spine, a sensation not much different than a gentle breeze that traveled through him, and he shivered.

He made his way up the staircase, taking advantage of his ability to float over the gaping holes that had been blasted away, and soon reached the top. Entering into the Great Hall, he stopped, watching a witch in front of him. Her back was facing him, and she did not notice his presence, busy waving her wand, moving debris and what was now the unrecognizable mess that had once been Hogwarts favorite gathering place.

"Minerva." He said, moving towards her and watching her pause her wand. She turned slowly, an aged face coming into view that looked twice as old as the last time he had seen it. Her expression mirrored his, only differing in terms of seeing Severus...barely...standing in front of her.

"You're...you're..." She let out a tiny cry. "I didn't think you'd want to return." She finished, fully facing him now and letting her eyes wander over his ghostly form, not even trying to hide the jaw that dropped open.

"I didn't expect to return." Snape confessed. "I guess I have some unfinished business that wouldn't allow me to remain on the other side." He shrugged, his hands going out to his sides. "Who knew?"

A/N: this story may be slow to be updated. Mainly using this one to break through my writer block moments, but do plan on updating more frequently when my other story is finished!


	2. Learning to Live

In Paradise, the margarita had been easy to grab, to hold, and to feel. The chair beneath him was evidently something he had been sitting on and the slightest brush of fingertips angriest his skin was easily felt. All these things ended up being a waste of time now, as he tried grasping a mug that Nearly-Headless Nick had sat in front of him. A task so simple, yet so hard.

"You have to concentrate." Nick warned, pulling his eyebrows together until they knotted in the middle of his forehead. "Concentrate, and at the same time, don't."

"Because that makes sense." Snape mumbled, letting out a sigh as he reached forward, attempted to grasp the mug handle with his hand, and watched his fingers pass right through. His hand formed a fist, and he slammed it down, habit telling him it would stop as it hit the table, but watched as it went straight through.

"It will." Nick told him. "It will."

Severus had quickly learned that returning to the world of the living had meant things had to be tried for, even as a ghost. Something as simple as grasping the mug before him - which, Severus had also learned was just the ghost of a broken mug a first year had broken in 1978 - took energy he did not yet grasp the meaning of. When he asked how things such as the mug had a ghost, Nick had kindly explained to him that all things were created, and as such, had trapped a part of the soul of the creator. When that thing had broken, died, or vanished, it too passed over into their world. Never thinking of how he had seen the ghosts of Hogwarts using those everyday necessities, thinking it just came with the territory, it had never bothered him to question the existence. Knowing that the glasses on the nose of his last victim had been blown to dust only to end up being used by some ghost such as himself, gave Nick, Rowena and even Peeves a new sense of being. A different take on life, if it could even be called that.

"You have to really want it. Compare that mug and its contents to your thirst, feel yourself drinking, and see yourself quenching it." Nick extended his own hand, his fingers grasped the mug, and he lifted it effortlessly. "It's not much different than being alive, you just have to learn how to forget about boundaries. Try putting your finger through the mug."

Severus pointed a finger, moved it slowly toward the mug and felt his stomach leap as it suddenly took on hardness. He could feel the smooth porcelain, the weight he had been used to when living as he added more fingers to it. And just like that, lost concentration in the excitement. The mug slipped through his palm when he went to grab it, and smashed to the ground, breaking into tiny slivers before disappearing all over again. Nick had watched, giving a tsk of his tongue before waving his hand, pulling an identical mug from thin air and placed it before him on the table.

"No worries, mate. Nothing but time on our side."

Severus pushed away from the table, gliding over to the window, and stared over the war-ridden grounds.

"I should have killed him." He said, unable to take much of the learning anymore. "I had years to do it, but never took advantage of the situation. Could have ended the war before it began, sought my revenge and-"

"-and still have lived as morosely as you did?" Nick finished. "That may have stopped the fight, but would you have changed as a person? I agree it may have saved you and others from heartbreak, but somehow I do not think justice would have been served."

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, turning slowly. Nick shrugged.

"That foul man is dead, yet you have returned. Even if you killed him yourself, there's obviously still something you need to fulfill that you haven't. which only says to me that your sour disposition would have continued even in life for whatever the reason."

...

"You're going back?" Ron had expected it, but had really hoped it wasn't the case. Hermione was shaking silently, looking as though she was trying to obtain windless magic instantly.

"I have OWLs and NEWTs to pass before I can truly relax." She stated, and it had felt good to say it. "I just don't think it's fair taking the position with the Ministry otherwise. Heroism can only prove so much."

"But you'll be away for most of the year!" Ron pouted, shoving his hands into his pockets and kicked a dust bunny across the floor. He didn't want to look at her, and even if he wanted to, knew he couldn't without succumbing with pent up emotion and begging her to reconsider.

"I know." Hermione's voice was small, and it carried a small quiver. "Which is why this is so hard for me right now."

"Hard for you?!" Ron exhaled sharply. "I'll have to go the whole time without being able to see you, too! Don't you think this won't affect me-"

"-I'm breaking up with you." Hermione interjected, a sob escaping her when Ron grew quiet. "This is an important year for me, Ronald. I need to concentrate on my studies and can't afford to have my mind wandering to you."

"You're...you're breaking up with me?" He asked. Hermione bit her lip and nodded.

"You're breaking up with me." He stated, saying it to himself as if to hear it right.

"I'm sorry, Ron." She whispered. "After this year is over, when I've graduated, this could continue and those plans for our future can continue." Hermione sniffled, raising to her feet from his bed. "But as of now, this is really the best course of action for both of us."

"You're breaking up with me." Ron had a glazed look, he obviously didn't comprehend what Hermione has continued saying. Slowly, he found himself lowering into a chair and didn't even notice Hermione kissing the top of his head and saying she'd send an owl before leaving.

A/N: just a quick little chapter to add to my word count and keep my muse busy. A bit empty feeling for now, my apologies, pantsing this story which usually proves a hassle with me. Halfway through camp nano month, it's all downhill from here! As bad as it may read, I hope it's at least enjoyable!


	3. Many Happy Returns

Seeing the state of Hogwarts had the effect akin to ripping off a painful bandaid. Standing outside the gates, Hermione found herself breathless. A quarter of it still remained in shambles, while the other half looked just like she remembered on the first boat ride. Her heart dropped as she observed the spot where the Gryffindor tower should have been, there was now only a gaping hole that exposed a portion of the common room, held up only from a base that seemed to wobble with the slightest breeze. Stepping through the gate, she began running across the grounds.

Hagrid's hut for the most part looked untouched, and the smoke that rose from the chimney warmed her, making her run faster than she ever had, knocking fast upon his door the instant she was close enough. There was some noise from the other side, and when the door opened, she launched herself upon the giant, her arms splaying against his stomach in a tight hug.

"'Mione! Wasn' 'specting ter see yeh 'til th'start of the semester." He laid a hand against her head, the other against her shoulder, then pulled her into a hug.

"I couldn't stay at home knowing I could be helping." She said, pulling back from the embrace.

"Of course not." Hagrid grinned and stepped back. "Come on in." He said, retreating from the door. "I'll star' some tea an' yeh can tell me abou' yer summer."

Hermione stepped inside, the tiny space welcoming her like a hug. Fang was asleep on the couch, a fire was roaring in the fireplace and she could easily imagine in this space that nothing had happened. If she let her mind fade far enough, she could put herself in a kind of alternate universe where the war had never been started, her seventh year had been spent not escaping dangers, and she was only on a visit.

"So, Hermione. How's Harry an' Ron?"

"Harry's well." She started. "He and Ron accepted positions at the Ministry. Training to be Aurors, they're hard pressed to bulk up their department after so many of them were killed." Hermione had considered joining, but the guilt inside her knowing that people went through years of schooling to obtain an Auror position would have been unfair, a disgrace even if she let herself go through without so much as finishing basic Wizarding school first.

"Tha's great! Tha' mess o' a place will turn around with them in charge."

"The Ministry was excited to have them sign on." Hermione agreed. Hagrid gave a nod of approval.

"An' wha'bout yer an' Ron?"

She stiffened at the mention. Not even twenty-four hours after the heartbreak, the idea of it had stung, still, and she found herself losing a battle as her eyes glossed over. Hagrid's mouth formed an 'o' as he realized what had happened.

"I'm sorry, 'Mione."

Hermione wiped at her eyes angrily, sniffed a few times and shook her head.

"No, don't be. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Did he do something?" Hagrid sounded defensive just then, worried, protective. "If he did anythin' ter harm yeh, I'll apparate myself over there righ' now an'-"

"-he did nothing." Hermione said, a hand raising at him. "We just had different life paths is all."

Hagrid nodded in sympathy. He lifted the tea kettle from the fire and poured two cups, handing one to Hermione before sitting in a chair.

"I'm glad yeh returned." He said after a while. Hermione smiled in return. "I was meanin' ter speak with yeh, knowin' yeh were lookin' into jobs at the ministry."

Hermione placed her cup down on the table, nodding.

"Yes, I want to take SPEW and make it worldwide." There was a dreamy state to her voice and Hagrid smiled at her.

"I was thinking yeh could work as an intern for me. Help me with Care o'Magical Creatures?"

"That would be brilliant!" Hermione said, lighting up.

"Yeh think so? I mean it would give yeh some experience."

"I would like that very much." Hermione said.

...

"I will gladly return to my teaching position, Minerva. It's not a matter of my current form or not!" Severus said, his voice angry and annoyed. He had appeared in the middle of an interview Minerva was giving for his old position as Potions Professor and jealousy soon overtook him. Minerva had dismissed the short and large male with a pockmarked face at his arrival, then turned to Severus and asked him what he thought he was doing.

"I've been advised you are having trouble with tying your own shoe, how are you supposed to teach a class?"

"I can still lecture." He snapped, almost hurtful. "What else am I supposed to do? I obviously had to come back for one reason or another."

"How will you demonstrate, Severus?" Minerva crossed her arms, watching him with careful eyes. "How will you grade papers, make stock of your ingredients?"

"The same way Binns does it." Severus shrugged, floating closer to her. "I'll get a student to help me."

"A dimwit could teach History of Magic, Severus. We all know the kids use that time to catch up on other things, sleep, homework what have you. He only needs a fraction of a students time to help. You're going to need all your classes assisted, as many hours you put in as a professor covered..."

"Minerva, please, I'm begging you. I'll end up going stark raving mad if all I have to do around here is watch others live their lives. Let me teach. If not all classes, then just one or two."

"I don't know, Severus."

"Minerva." Severus sighed desperately, and turned to leave. Before he could press himself into a door, Minerva had stopped him.

"One class." She said. "One class, and you'll get a student to help you on your own accord."

"Thank you." He said, bowing his head to her slightly then left. At least he'd have something to help pass his time. The only thing he had to worry about was finding the one person he could trust to do his class justice.


	4. Being Invisible is Hard

"Wittle ickle Sevikins having a hard time with the weather?" Peeves hovered, grinning from ear to ear from the corner of a room, watching Severus's attempt to remain in one spot. Severus was attempting to cross the main entryway during a windstorm...that is, a slightly blustery wind that wasn't going to hang around for very long, and finding it hard to keep his weightless form from being tossed about in a slight vortex that had gathered in a corner.

"If you aren't going to be of any help-" Severus had started saying before being released from the vortex and tossed through a wall. He rushed back through the wall, ready to give Peeves a part of his mind, only to be answered with an echo of a mischievous laugh and no Peeves in sight. Huffing, he grabbed the edge of his vest and gave it a taught tug, shook his hair back into position, and turned to leave through the doorway (flying through walls quickly became his least favorite thing to do-he still held onto his human-like dignity after all), but was greeted with a sad transparent girl who squealed upon seeing him.

"So it's true." Myrtle said, her squeaky voice pulling a sneer from Severus. He glided back a few feet, adjusted his path and moved forward, she floated beside him.

"I was hoping the others were just teasing, saying you've returned to see how gullible I was."

"I've returned." Severus said. "And now I'm leaving." He gave a curt nod, letting the movement swivel his body around and he found Myrtle had floated in front of him.

"I was hoping you would keep me company." She said. "It gets so lonely in my toilet, all the visitors I ever get just come to make fun of me."

"As fun as that sounds, I do have plans of my own. Maybe another time?" Severus said, turning around again. Myrtle cut him off once more. Now she looked bothered, and he visibly sighed in frustration.

"You're just like the others, thinking I can't handle the truth. You can just tell me to leave you alone, you know. I'm used to being alone."

Severus looked at her, trying to keep the glare down that was fighting to show. She wanted the truth? He'd give it to her.

"Your loneliness is not a concern of mine." He stated, pleased at seeing her mouth drop open. "As rude as you may take me for saying so, I have no interest in haunting your lavatory, and have better ways to spend my time, so if you please I would like to pass and request you go and moan somewhere else."

Myrtle grew red faced, bunching her shoulders up to her ears, and silently floated to the side, but only as slowly as she could. Severus pushed past her, and continued down the hallway. All he wanted was some time alone and was beginning to think that being a ghost did not have that luxury. Though he had been able to lift a mug, and a fork, and even mastered the art of sneaking up on Minerva, he was tired of being sought out, looked for, and likewise hunted by the other ghosts who had heard of his arrival. It seems they carried respect for privacy amongst the living, but to their kind, the meaning of privacy was lost.

Taking to his old office, he felt quite at home, though he'd be sharing it soon. The idea did not please him, but beggars couldn't be choosers and could only hope his office mate would be halfway decent, and tidy, and understand that though he was unable to harm them, there were other ways he could get them to submit to his usually strict rules of his space.

He had a syllabus to come up with and Minerva had decided to let him go ahead teaching the seventh year Slytherin-Gryffindor classes, feeling that it wouldn't be such a shock as they were already used to his presence. He had yet to find help, but knew that as soon as the roster for his class was settled, choosing it would come easily. Willing from the air a piece of parchment, the empty hand he was met with was enough for him to slink into a chair.

_For the love of Merlin_.

Hovering in a position that felt right to convey he had given up, and decided upon sitting there until he could muster up the nerve to seek out Nick for his help.


	5. The Shrieking Shack

Hermione had placed the last brick, smiling with a sense of satisfaction, then stepped back to admire her work. McGonagall had entrusted her to work on a hallway that was only mildly destroyed, knowing very well that she could have repaired a whole room.

'It's your summer vacation, Miss Granger.'

She had said.

'I expect you to enjoy it, not work through it. Merlin knows you work hard enough at your studies.'

So they had compromised. Hermione, wanting to feel that she had come to spend the last few days of summer before the start of school providing as much humanitarian help as she could, had agreed to helping with the small projects, as well as remaining a teenager for as long as she could. There had been a few other students who had returned, all of whom she did not know well enough to bother making friends with, so her downtime had turned into reading. She had nearly caught up with what homework she could squeeze out of her professors that had also returned to help, but still a large amount of time was left in the day.

Taking to the trail that led into Hogsmeade, Hermione found herself taking the slowest strides possible, stuffing her hands deep into her pockets, letting her wandering mind get lost in the clouds overhead and the scenery around her. She hadn't planned much other than heading to the Three Broomsticks where she would read away the hours, her nose buried in some Muggle book she had packed in the satchel she wore over her shoulders, and maybe do some window shopping, yet when the outline of the Shrieking Shack had appeared, she froze in her step and looked at it. Her mouth turned down, she blinked slowly. Her Potion Master's death had stung, not only witnessing it, but also having learned what had come out of his memories. She had dipped her head into the pensive, had seen the images that he had kept to himself all those years and had changed her impression of him rather quickly. True, the way he had treated Harry, Ron and herself had been vile and beyond mean at times, but finding out what had been the cause of his animosity had spoken to her helplessly romantic heart. She climbed over the splintery fence that lined the trail and made her way toward the shack.

A window had been open, the wooden planks having fallen off from rot and weather, that she climbed through, and it became hard to breathe. Stuffy and dark, an inch of dust covered everything in sight, but what made it most hard to breathe is when she came upon the spot she had last seen her professor. Taking her wand, she waved it in a circle, leaving a wreath, much like the one she had made for Harry's parents. He had been taken for granted. The help he could have provided when they needed it most outside of the order all because they never trusted him, abused. Sure he had been a part of the Order, but no one had fully realized what could have been. Especially Harry.

She wiped at a tear that had fallen from her eye, composed a much stronger feeling of remorse that would have shown had she not stood then, adjusted her satchel and turned, leaving through the window she entered through. She continued walking, climbed back over the splintery fence, and made her way into Hogsmeade.

...

The Shrieking Shack had been the only place he had found to give him some time alone, at least he thought. He hadn't been there for more than twenty minutes when he heard someone enter, and mentally hexed them as he faded into a dark corner. Who it was, however, had made him watch intently. Her hair was still frizzy and he half expected her to clean up the place as she looked disdainfully upon what remained of the shack. He continued standing there, watching as she came upon the wall he had slumped against just before his last breath, just before asking Harry to look at him so he may die looking into the eyes of the one person all his actions had been for. Seeing her make a wreath, then sit back upon her heals, he found himself at a loss. Never had he expected anyone to leave him a sign of remembrance, let alone visit the place at all. No one had been to his gravesite, that he was certain, but it was all the same to him.

The sun had thrust itself through a window, onto her face, and he gaped as a small sparkle of a year had worked its way out of her eye and down her cheek. She sniffed and wiped at her cheek with the tips of her fingers. He felt something. Sickness? Similar to it, yet he had no intention of vomiting. He wanted her gone, suddenly. The warmth he took as the beginning of a fever began to build in his stomach, and could not bring himself to continue watching. Slowly, he backed up until the tickle of a wall invaded his form, letting Hermione fade away as he fully pushed through the wall into the next room.


	6. Potions Notes

The week had passed slowly. Severus had kept himself hidden away when not socializing with the other ghostly inhabitants of Hogwarts, and had made acquaintance with the new living Potions Professor, Levolin Adner. She had seemed competent enough, roughly in her thirties as Severus would have guessed. She had heard of his fearsome reputation and assured she'd give him his time and space. Even while living, he didn't have much besides his books and authentic antique cauldrons and potion making supplies, of which, Professor Adner had seemed rather taken by, and had promised to ask his permission if she saw any need to move anything.

Feeling confident, having no other choice, really, Severus allowed the classroom to fill up. He had hovered in a back corner, drawing no attention from the students as they entered, taking their seats with their usual partners. Though the majority of the class had been made from last year's sixth years, there were a couple familiar faces that had returned to complete their seventh year, he knew they were given the choice, but as for Draco Malfoy and Theodore Knott who took their seats at a back table, Severus knew their families would have pressed for them to return for the time they lost.

Parvati Patil entered shortly after, taking her seat next to a brown haired girl, then Seamus Finnigan, who sat at the last empty table.

One empty seat.

Just as began to sneer at the thought, she entered. It was not without doubt that Hermione Granger would be taking this class, and he would have not expected any less. She hovered around the door for a moment, saw the last seat next to Seamus, and hesitated upon taking it. He couldn't blame her, knowing very well his abilities to make something explode greatly exceeded making a remedy, he too would have been searching for another arrangement.

The doors closed, swinging shut with a bang causing the bodies in the room to jump and look behind them expectantly, searching for a professor to be walking down the aisle. McGonagall had announced after the sorting that a new professor had been chosen, but had not said anything pertaining to Severus's return. That had been kept secret, if only to appease his curiosity, and amusement. He lingered in the corner, satisfied with the turning heads. Few students whispered back and forth with each other, while a few of the braver students loudly exclaimed their hopes.

"If the professor isn't here in ten minutes, it's an automatic cancelation of class." One said.

"You're just making that up." Another one answered, though the voice carried a hint of hope.

"You think the new professor would be punctual on the first day." The first one said, pulling soft laughs and snickers from the rest of them.

"Maybe she overslept." One suggested.

"Maybe she chickened out!" Cried another.

"Or maybe," Severus couldn't hold back any more and let himself disrupt the cheery wishes of everyone, "you should open your textbooks to page one-hundred and ninety two." He emerged from the shadows, floating in front of his desk. The students, confused at first, searched the room for the voice they knew so well, and as soon as they noticed, remained staring in awe.

"We will start this term off with a concentration potion. Your ingredients will be found in the pantry when you finish the assigned reading. I don't expect talking." He shot a few pointed looks to the first few rows. A lifted eyebrow was all that was needed to send the class diving into their textbooks.

He continued gliding around the room, peering over shoulders as ingredients had been gathered and cauldrons had been filled. Everyone had taken on an eerie silence, the shock from everyone could be felt strongly and the desired effect had been kept. Every time he'd draw near, every time his cloak would lightly push through an arm, or tickle the back of a head, the students would sit up straighter and pay closer attention to their work. Draco and Theodore along with the other Slytherins were the only ones that didn't act as alarmed, though they had gawked just as much as the others. They seemed to fall back into place seeing their old Head of House watching over them.

Passing behind Seamus and Hermione, however, he caught a note exchange hands. He put his out, forgetting so easily that he couldn't grab it, and the little titter that came from Seamus annoyed him just enough to cause a scene.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor." He breathed, his eyes boring down to Hermione's hand that was quickly shoving the note under her thigh. "And I'll take another twenty if you don't bring yourself to speak to me after class, with the note, Miss Granger."

The look she gave was satisfying.

...

"You asked to speak with me, sir?" Hermione asked as she approached him. Her hands were wringing together and she seemed almost timid, her head down, shyly trying to look at him, but trying not to stare at him. He remained floating there, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

"Passing notes in class is unbecoming for you." He started. "You have the note, I presume?"

She nodded.

"Let me see it."

She handed it out to him, still trying not to stare. He cleared his throat.

"Read it." He instructed.

"Oh. Sorry, sir." Nervously she opened the folded bit of parchment, her cheeks blushing slightly. "Even in ghost form he still looks greasy." She lowered her hands, swallowing, and looked straight at him. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Well? Go on." He insisted.

"That's all, sir." She said. Severus let himself glide between them and peered over the top of the paper. It was all that was written on there. He had half expected as much from Seamus, having caught a few of his notes in the past, and was expecting to have finally caught the insufferable know-it-all breaking conduct, he was left feeling empty, unsure of how to proceed, but didn't let the uneasiness show.

"I don't agree with him." She said. His eyes travelled from the note, to her. "You're harder to see, transparent, you come across more matte than greasy." And before he could open his mouth to say anything, she apologized profusely.

"You may leave." He croaked, watching her carefully as she walked backwards, her head dipping low and only kept her sights set on the door.


	7. The Trouble With Moon Frogs

"Can you believe it?" Parvati had not even given the others time to sit down and fill their plates before bringing up the potions class that morning. "Of all the people to come back, it had to be Snape. Probably missed giving us hell."

"I hear it's because of an oath he had made with Voldemort, protecting his bones even in death." Seamus added in. Hermione rolled her head slowly to him, narrowing her eyes.

"Don't believe everything you hear." She said. Seamus rolled his eyes.

"It's just the rumor going around that seems the most believable."

"Whatever!" Hermione laughed. "It's more likely he came back due to the school insisting of his return than an oath he gave to the Dark Lord."

"I would have given my right boob to have seen the looks on everyone's face." Lavender said, reaching for some chicken legs that appeared before them, ignoring the ghastly looks everyone had thrown at her.

"He didn't give you much grief, did he, 'Mione?" Seamus asked, sheepishly watching her as he tucked into some mashed potatoes. Hermione shook her head.

"He had me read him the note then sent me away."

"No detention?"

"Surprisingly not." Hermione's eyes scanned the head table, not seeing the professor, then leaned into the group. "I think it hurt his feelings more than anything."

"Hurt his feelings." Seamus said, making sure he heard right. Hermione nodded.

"Mmm. I apologized and said he looks more matte then greasy, then he sent me away." She explained blindly reaching for food. She was still searching the Great Hall for any signs of their ghostly Professor, making sure she wasn't overlooking him in any way.

"You don't suppose he came back from guilt, do you?" Parvati asked. "You know, from...from murdering Dumbledore?"

No one spoke. They shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Hermione snapped her attention to her plate, eyes downcast. She was biting her lip, hard. She had seen the memories and knew that guilt was the last reason he would return. Dumbledore had asked it of him, he did not die in vain. As she saw it, Severus had done him a favor, one that should have freed him from the bonds of life, but that was not her news to tell; if Severus had wanted people to know that, he would have made sure it was known.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" A girlish, dreamy voice had joined them, and Hermione was glad for the interruption of silence that seemed to grow tighter around her. Luna had squeezed her way in, sitting next to Hermione and regarded the others with a certain carefulness only she could produce. "He returned because he was missing something."

"Missing something?" Seamus gave a laugh. "I doubt Snape missed anything. The way he always acted, it's like he couldn't wait to get out of living. Angry at it all, if I were him, that would be enough."

"You aren't looking right. There was something he never got in life that he returned for." Luna pressed, and gave a minute for thought.

"Well tell us then if you're so smart." Parvati said, hanging on the pause. Luna smiled sadly.

"Acceptance." She answered simply, then turned to Hermione. "The Moon Frogs were delivered today. Should make for an interesting class tomorrow."

Hermione's eyes widened a little at the mention. Hagrid had said in his own way that an exciting package had been ordered for Care of Magical Creatires when she had visited him last. She had tried to get out of him exactly what had made him so excited, but he hadn't said anything, wanting the surprise to be kept secret, even from her. Knowing his past, Hermione had prepared herself for some kind of blood thirsty, ravenous creature that would have sent a student to the infirmary on the first day. Hearing from Luna that Moon Frogs had been sent for, she had wondered if Hagrid was feeling ill; all she had heard on the creatures made them relatively harmless.

"Moon Frogs!" Seamus exclaimed, his cheeks stuffed with biscuits. "I thought those were only a rumor!"

"I guess not." Hermione interjected before too much could be debated on the issue. "Hagrid hadn't said much about the delivery, even to me, but now I can understand his excitement."

"We had to pull a few strings over the summer, but the Department of Magical Creatures thought that our study of them could help." Luna agreed, her lips pulling back even more. "We always knew they existed, and we're quite excited to assist in the procreation of them."

Hermione smiled back at her. She was speaking, of course, about herself and her father. Hermione could only picture the kind of attention this would bring to The Quibbler.

...

Hermione wasn't taking Care of Magical Creatures as a class, though her assistance still counted toward a grade, an important one. She had wanted to take the class as well, but McGonagall happily coerced her into only sticking with being Hagrid's assistant. For the first day, her schedule only suffered enough to let her arrive twenty minutes early to help prepare.

"One per table." Hagrid had told her, handing her a box. The class had been moved to inside one of the stable houses, five tables had been set up with four seats to a table. Hermione opened the lid and peered inside. For the most part, it looked like the box had contained five grey rocks. She had half expected the every-day green frogs she was used to seeing. When she reached the first table, she put her hand in, grabbed a rock, and nearly dropped the box when it jumped, brushing against her fingers. It had landed on another rock, caused it to jump, and before too long, the rocks were wildly jumping around, disturbing the balance of the box.

Hermione placed the box down on the nearest table a little too late, the box tipped over, and the rocks were jumping out, quickly scattering around the classroom. She chased after one, managed to grab it, and studied it closely.

Holding it, she was able to recognize the arms and legs of a frog, now splayed out over her hand, struggling to get out of her grasp. The grey, stony skin did not shine like a regular frog, but looked dusty, and she could just make out a dotting of black on either side of the face, groupings of little round eyes that looked back at her. She went to the first table, lifted the lid to a large, clear box that was placed in the center, and disposed of the frog inside. Her hands were left with a milky white colored dust that she brushed off on her skirt.

She had found another frog in the corner, almost blending in with the stone ground, and had it not been for nearly stepping on it and causing it to jump, she probably would have. The third and fourth frogs were found, huddled together on a wooden staircase that led to a second floor. They seemed to have all but given up, content enough to let Hermione take one in each hand and distribute them to their own tables. It was the fifth frog, however, that seemed to cause the most trouble. She couldn't feet a foot near him before he'd escape, jumping away, causing little clouds of dust when he landed. At her last wit, Hermione pulled her wand, and pointed it as best as she could at the frog.

"Immobulis!"

The frog froze in a mid-jump, falling to the ground with a heavy thud and was placed into the last box. With a heavy sigh, she muttered a light finite incantatem and stood back to admire her work.


	8. Just Trying to Help

A three foot thesis on the potion of your choosing, along with a sample. Must include:

\- The history of the potion.

\- Ingredients used and proper way to prepare.

\- What the potion is used for, as well as what the potion isn't used for.

\- How the potion can be improved, and in what instances an improvement would be valuable.

\- Extra Credit: Create your own potion, graded on mindfulness to its use.

Due Date: End of term.

The scrawl in which the instructions had been written on the board had not been of the professors handwriting. It was barely legible, almost juvenile in essence and Hermione wrinkled her nose as she copied the instructions down in her notebook before the class even started. The class had been busily whispering between each other, and when Seamus had started, Hermione sent him a glare.

"I think it's best we keep quiet and to ourselves." She told him before he could speak. "We can't afford any more points to be taken away from us this early in the year and I do not want to get into trouble."

Seamus continued to look at her for the next few seconds, aghast, before he turned to his own notebook and copied the instructions down haughtily.

In his new fashion, Severus appeared from the dark, front corner of the classroom and gave everyone a good once-over.

"Your work is on the board. Mr. Malfoy has taken the liberty to assist in readying the ingredients used in most potions that you can find on the desk behind me. For all other ingredients, you'll find them in the pantry." His order was clear, and his lifted eyebrow challenged anyone who thought otherwise. "Please try and keep your mundane conversations to a dull roar." Snapping around, he receded back into the shadow while everyone flipped through their textbooks.

"Any idea what you are going to pick?" Seamus asked as he drew a finger down his textbook index. "I may try the Babbling Beverage one. May make for an interesting thesis. Or the Blemish Blitzer seems easy enough."

"I'm surprised you're not going for the Erumpent Potion." Hermione chimed in, smirking. Seamus flipped through a few pages at the mention. Hermione's smirk grew wider.

"It's a potion that explodes upon being touched." She added. Seamus pulled his fingers away from the book, grinning at Hermione from ear to ear.

"How I haven't heard of it yet, I'm not sure, but thank you for pointing it out to me."

"I don't think any professor here would have told you about it anyway." She giggled. Seamus nodded in agreement.

"Couldn't guess why." He answered, finding the page that listed the ingredients and quickly began copying them down in his notebook. Hermione, on the other hand was taking her time. She was flipping page by page through her textbook, giving careful consideration to every potion there was. She wanted this thesis to stand out somehow, wanting it to challenge her in some way. Already having brewed most of the potions in the book, none of them had called to her, and she knew them all by heart practically.

The quiet talking had grown into stifled laughter, gaining Hermione's attention. She looked up just in time to see a small wad of paper fly through the air to the front of the classroom, and watched as it passed straight through Severus, who was perched in the chair behind the desk, his head down, looking at papers that had been strategically laid out across the desk. He didn't seem to notice as the paper sailed through him, and a few students were unable to hold back their laughter. Hermione furrowed her brow at the group - a few Gryffindors that had originally been a year behind her - and caught them tearing another strip of parchment, balling it up, and throwing it again. This piece sailed through Severus, this time through his shoulder, and he stirred, only lifting his eyes to glance over the class. The group quickly drew their attention to their work, still smirking. Hermione rolled her eyes, looking back at her book, but found herself staring again at the group when the light sound of tearing paper, being disguised with coughing, had caught her ear. She shook her head, knowing very well they couldn't see her. Seamus nudged her slightly.

"Let them have their fun." He whispered. Hermione glared.

"They're picking on him!" She whispered back. Seamus shrugged, his face downcast to his book, though he was watching the group through his eyelashes, a devious expression crossed his face as the next wad of paper sailed. It went through Severus's chest. The ghostly professor lifted his head at this one, ready to say something, but Hermione beat him to it.

"Knock it off!" She yelled, rising from her seat. The group had laughed, the few of them that had tried holding it in, snorting at her outburst.

"What are you talking about?" A black haired boy asked, trying his best to sound clueless.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She pursed her lips as their laughter grew. Seamus had even let out a chortle of his own before he tugged on Hermione's sleeve.

"Just let it go, Hermione." He said. Hermione narrowed her eyes and sat back down, though letting it go wasn't as easy as he made it sound.

"I will not let it go." She told him. "Severus has a right to a hassle free classroom whether he can help it or not."

"I wasn't aware we were on a first name basis, Miss Granger. That's Professor Severus if you intend to use my first name, and as for the rest of you, if one more piece of paper flies, I will have you writing lines until supper." Snape bellowed from his seat. Hermione's cheeks grew red, but she stuck her chin out in defiance to the others. Severus, seeing this, removed himself from the desk and floated over to Hermione.

"Your assistance is appreciated, but I assure you I do not need your help. Five points from Gryffindor for sticking your know-it-all nose in the business of others."

She received a sharp kick to her shin from Seamus, and her jaw fell slightly open as Severus turned and returned to his seat.

...

Hermione had found safety in a corner of the library, one that was safely out of sight and included a large arm chair with a high back that she turned to face out one of the stained glass windows. She curled up into it, and had managed to lose four hours of the evening pouring over the books she had gathered and placed on the ground beneath her.

Felix Felicis had been the potion she had chosen to write about and make, proving to be just hard enough yet obtainable. She had thought about the typical picks; Amortentia, a Fingernail Growth potion, even Veritaserum had been listed as a possible choice, but Liquid Luck had won out over all of them the more she gave it consideration.

Rubbing at her eyes, she finally un-curled herself from the chair, her knees cracked having not been moved, and her feet tingled as the feeling returned. She stretched her arms over her head, and began to yawn, cutting it short as she caught a glimpse at her watch. Eight-forty-five. She had fifteen minutes to return to her dorm before curfew started, and did not fancy being late. She hurriedly stuffed her work in her satchel, replaced the books she no longer had use for, and made for the exit.

Walking the corridor, she held onto her satchel strap tightly with one hand, the other shoved somewhere within her robes, her eyes remained stuck to the ground. It prevented her from seeing the dark and skinny figure she ran into.

"Watch it, Granger."

Hermione took a few steps back, casting her eyes upon Draco as he shifted his own stack of books he carried freely in his arms. A few of them had toppled out of his grasp, and his fight to keep a hold of them had lost to gravity.

"Sorry." Hermione said, wincing a bit as she watched the books fall to the ground. She picked them up, stacking them back on top of Draco's arms, but not before catching the silvery inlay of a title that was printed on a black, leather bound folder.

Grading

"You should come up with a better way to store your work, you know." She said. Draco pulled his lips back.

"Excuse me for my lack of filing." He said, sarcastically. "I had it just fine until you knocked into me."

"I didn't mean to." Hermione persisted. "You could have watched it yourself."

"I did warn you." His answer was flat, though amusement was hidden in it. "Or were you too busy daydreaming of Severus to mind your step?"

"Oh shove off, Malfoy." Hermione narrowed her eyes, adjusted her strap and turned.

"It's not every day a Gryffindor will stand up for a Slytherin, let alone the Head of House." He snorted. "Looks to me as if our little Gryffindor princess has become smitten with our potions professor."

Hermione's chin tucked into her neck and she quickened her step, all the while Draco chanting after her:

"Hermione loves Snape, Hermione loves Snape, Hermione loves Snape."


	9. The Chase

Care of Magical Creatures ended, and Hermione stayed behind, pushing in chairs, spelling the tables clean, obtaining the stacks of parchment that had been left on the tables that had been completed during class. She glanced over them as she took them to the table that doubled as Hagrid's desk and shoved them into one of his grading folders. Sitting at the desk, she pulled out a piece of parchment that Hagrid had already started for the next lesson: Obtaining Moon Dust.

The past few classes had been centered on studying the anatomy of the frogs, which Hermione had found herself in a state of jealousy only watching as her classmates got the opportunity to poke and prod about the creatures that had been put into an immobilized state. When the legs were forced away from the body, the rocky shape took on more of a familiar toad-like form. The face had the same shape, though the mouth was not there, they could identify the nasal slots, though they had more a gill-like appearance, and the clusters of black eyes, they learned, worked much like a spiders.

Seamus had been smart enough (or unlucky enough) to press at a spot just behind their back legs. A stream of dust had exploded, covering him with a powdery-white coating. Hagrid explained that it was a defensive mechanism, and bellowed heavily when Seamus huffed out a breath through his nose, expelling the dust in it, giving him a fire-breathing (or smoke-breathing rather) effect. Hermione had expressed her concern and had wanted to take him straight to the infirmary, but both Seamus and Hagrid had assured her he was fine. Nothing a bath couldn't take care of.

This was the way in which Hagrid had quickly outlined to collect the moon dust. A vial was to be held at the back legs, and the space to be pressed, much like milking a cow. They were to write down their experience, and mark their samples, before the samples were to be packaged up and mailed to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Beast, Being, and Spirit Division for further testing. About to add her own notes, just simple things that could help improve the class, she had noticed movement to her left and glanced over. One of the Moon Frogs had gotten out of its cage and had hopped over to her.

"How did you get out?" Hermione wondered aloud, glancing over the classroom and seeing one of the lids sitting askew on a cage. She put her quill down and stood, walking over to it. As she bent down to pick it up, it hopped away, this beginning a game of chase. The frog circled around the room once, before finding a window ledge. It placed two skinny legs on the window to balance as it turned around, but with enough force to open it, and fell out. Hermione watched, brushing hair out of her face, before racing out the door. By the time she reached the ground outside of the window, the frog was nowhere to be seen.

"No, no, no."

Growing frantic, she twisted her head this way and that until she caught a glimpse of a white rock against the dark, dirt ground, and approached it. Like before, it saw her coming and hopped away. Instinctively, she grabbed at her pocket for her wand, but found it empty. She had placed her wand on Hagrid's desk earlier, and cursed herself as she fought an internal war to go back and get it. With the frog hopping away quickly, she chased after it, not wanting to lose sight of it. She was out of breath by the time they reached the castle, and had decided by that time to hex the person who left the lid unlocked. Nothing harmful, just something to make the person double check their end-of-class checklist.

She followed the frog as it wandered down a corridor, then up a flight of stairs, almost glowing in the dim lighting of the castle. The dust almost sparkled as it caught the flame light of the candles and she had to admit, was a beautiful creature. It stopped, teasing her, turning to taunt her as the small gills on its nose lifted and lowered. She bent down and...it was off again. Growling now, she chased it down the corridor, beginning to yell at it to get back to her, then unexpectedly passed through something cold. The hairs rose on the back of her neck and she stood up, coming to a stop. Turning around, she winced as Severus narrowed his eyes at her.

"Running is better suited outside of the castle, Miss Granger."

"Sorry, Sir." She said, chancing a look over her shoulder. The damned frog had stopped, watching her now and she swore it was laughing. Turning back around, she saw Severus looking quizzically from the frog to her.

"Our Moon Frog got loose." She explained.

"I'm a ghost, not blind." He snapped back at her. "Might I suggest Immobulus? It's a spell that freezes living beings." His lip raised in amusement.

"I'm quite aware of that, Professor." She spat.

"As I'm sure you are, it would seem an easier way to gather your lost pet rather than chasing it around."

"I left my wand back in Care of Magical Creatures and didn't want to lose sight of it." Hermione crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Are you just going to make fun of me, or seeing as you're unable to help me, am I free to continue my chase?"

Snape's face fell, an expression of blankness had crossed it and Hermione immediately wished she could take it back.

"Mocking my inability to assist you just bought you a night of detention." He hissed quietly. Hermione drew her lips tight, and turned around.

"No points being taken this time?" She mumbled more to herself, then winced as she noticed she said it louder than she had meant to, and drew her shoulders up to her ears.

"Make that two detentions, Miss Granger. Care to try me for more?"

"No, Sir." She answered quietly. The frog, having fallen asleep during the short break, was easily gathered up. Severus was still watching her when she faced back around.

"Int...teresting. Though I am unable to have physically helped you, it seems I did assist in its capture after all." He raised an eyebrow. "Goodnight, Granger." He purred. Hermione held back the glare she so much wanted to give him, and hurried away.


	10. Detention

Hermione knocked on the heavy door, then pressed it open when she did not hear an answer just enough to look inside. Professor Snape hovered behind his desk. He looked exhausted, weak even, and his fingers were working hard to grasp a feather that sat on the desk before him. He looked determined though as he clenched and released his fingers. They passed straight through the feather, and Hermione jumped, biting her lip when he gave a growl, throwing his hand through the feather as if to wave it off the desk. The feather remaining where it was. She pushed the door open wider, stepped through it, and closed it behind her back, clearing her throat to call attention to her presence. Severus' eyes lifted to her and turned dark.

"Miss Granger." He said, raising the hand he had passed through the feather and motioned to the front table. "You'll be preparing these ingredients."

Hermione stepped to the table, seeing it covered with common ingredients. At first she was appalled, wondering why he was making her do this instead of his usual polishing ritual, but as she glanced at the feather, she bit her tongue and refused any further remarks. She sat down silently, grabbed a knife, and began slicing.

...

Severus had read over the papers on his desk so much that he had memorized almost every word. The need to cringe at every wrong answer had long since passed and had found himself watching as Hermione sat there silently, precisely chopping the lizard hearts, carefully slicing the Boomslang skin, finely grating the lemongrass until it was a dusty powder. It only took him a second more to realize that he was growing jealous of her ability to grasp, to lift and touch the utensils he took for granted while he was alive.

"Have you given any thought to your potion?" He asked when the feeling of envy became too strong and needed to break the silence. Hermione didn't stop in her work, she only looked over to him for a second, then remained concentrated on her task.

"Felix Felicis." She answered matter-of-factly. Severus couldn't resist raising an impressed eyebrow. It was a difficult potion to brew, but he wouldn't put it past the know-it-all to choose anything less difficult. His silence seemed to stir an uncomfortable feeling inside of her as she looked at him again.

"Is it that shocking or are you unimpressed with my choice?" She asked, pausing for just a moment until he pressed his lips together, forcing his focus off of her hands to her.

"Neither. I wouldn't expect any less from you, however" He paused a moment for effect, waiting until she glanced at him. "Mr. Malfoy has already claimed that potion as his assignment."

"That's a problem?" She asked, letting the tip of her knife linger into the piece of Boomslang skin she had begun to cut.

"My instructions were for one potion per student, no repeats."

Hermione's nose wrinkled as she thought back over the class.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I do not remember that being stated in the instructions."

"You...don't...remember?" Severus smirked. Had the Gryffindor in front of him actually not read the instructions clearly enough? He crossed his arms.

"I'm quite certain."

"Are you saying that I have failed in precisely explaining the assignment, or are you blaming me for your inability to thoroughly read what was on the board?"

Hermione bit her lip, dating not to say a word. Severus watched her, amused, certain if it was in a classroom setting, she'd have pulled her notes from her bag and would have shown him her usual word-for-word copy. She had not her bag, only her memory that he took a sick pride in and mentally stored her sudden paleness in his memory banks to look back on should he ever need a reason to smile.

The doors opened and Draco walked in, his arms ladened with folders. He didn't see Hermione until he neared her table after which, he gave a slight wink.

"Not interrupting anything, am I Professor?" He asked, sauntering past. Hermione glared at him before returning to her work. Severus shook his head, receding behind the desk and watched as Draco laid out the papers in his arms.

"These are graded, I still have a few to go through which I'll do in the morning. You'll forgive me for needing sleep, of course."

"Much appreciated, Draco." Severus said, and floated into the chair. Draco beamed from the praise, turned, and left as quickly as he came. Hermione allowed herself to watch as he left, before looking back at Severus who had busied himself with the papers.

"What are those?" She asked. She had seen him carrying a load very much alike in the past and curiosity was setting in. Severus looked up under his brow, regarded her for a while, then back down.

"Mr. Malfoy has been helping me with grading."

"You trust him enough for that?"

He looked up again, an eyebrow raised. She looked sincerely surprised.

"I do." He answered. "Have I a reason not to?"

"Well, no." She chopped a few more pieces, gathered them up with her knife and placed them in the container. "I just know he still has a bad reputation with some people in the class. Any bad marks given may cause some to think it was done on purpose."

"Anyone willing to challenge it is welcomed to do so. They will find that no assignment is returned without my approval therefore any disagreements with grading would be an insult to my intelligence."

Hermione gathered up the table, completed with everything that had been sat before her and given a wave of her wand to scour the surface clean. She stood before the desk Severus sat in.

"I'm finished." She announced, her attention drawn to the papers he was looking at that had been marked in the same untidy scrawl she had seen on the board and it unsettled her, though she couldn't know why.

"You may leave." He droned, sounding halfway bored. Hermione turned and left. Severus watched her until the door closed.


	11. Meddling Peeves

"Eel Sap...two more, Essence of Ambrosia...good, Fennel Seed...Fennel Seed..." Hermione grunted. She rose onto tiptoe, her arm stretching carefully over the bottles on the shelf and turned each one behind the first couple of rows to read the labels. She takes her tongue when she found none, drew her arm back, and made the note on the piece of parchment she had folded in her other hand. For her second detention, Severus had put her to work in the stockroom. Though she had protested that the other potions class also used everything in it, there was no talking her way out of the inventory that would take up a good part of the night. It took away from precious study time, and though she attempted to get through everything quickly, three hours had already found her only in the 'F's'. She put her hand to her neck, working it in small circles as it had started to cramp up and blew a puff of air trough her lips. Such a small room, yet so many ingredients. Moving on, she cringed at the sound of breaking glass, snapping her eyes shut and picturing the shelves below her giving way, all the potions crashing to the floor. When she got the nerve to peek, she found the shelves in perfect condition. The laughter she heard was floating through the wall, coming from the classroom on the other side. She clamored down the ladder, and whipped around the corner.

There, along the wall that shared with the stockroom, all the specimens that had been kept in jars, suspended in time locking potions, had been knocked down. Severus was standing nearby, examining the damage as the specimens began to breathe with life again, his eyes sliced into thin lines, matched her gaze as he noticed her presence.

"Did you-" She began to ask, but knew he didn't have a hand in it when the laugh sounded again. Her attention shot to the rafters, and there, sitting upon the one directly over their heads, Peeves smiled down on them. He had a surviving jar in his outstretched hands, and let it go, barely giving Hermione time to jump out of the way as it crashed at her feet.

"Snapey can't touch, Snapey can't grab, his time as a ghost is awfully drab!" Peeves sang, diving from the rafters, disappearing into the ground, then resurfacing behind Severus just as quickly. He let out a whistle as he spun around and around Severus, dodged behind the next shelf lower, and powered through those jars, sending them crashing to the ground as well. Hermione gaped, looking from Severus who was surely red-faced had he been able to produce color in his cheeks, then to Peeves who kicked around a jar as easily as a football.

"Stop this, right now." Hermione demanded. Peeves grinned at her, caught the jar in his hand, pulled it back to his ear and threw it at her. Hermione dodged it, letting it sail by her head.

"This is absurd." She spat, growing angry. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Ashamed of myself?" Peeves let out a laugh again. "I'm not the one who can't even cause a breeze!" And with that, Peeves sailed for Hermione, swirling around her just as he did to Severus. When he pulled back, Hermione's hair which had been nearly curled, had been transformed into a mess of knots. She ran her fingers through them, glaring.

"Severu-Professor Snape can't help it. At least he didn't come back as a rotten poltergeist like yourself."

"Peeves didn't come back. Peeves was invented." He went to a bookshelf and pulled books down by their spine. Hermione's stomach churned at the act, wincing as they fell to the ground.

"You're nothing but a bloody pest." She hissed. "Don't you feel at all sorry for him?"

Peeves stopped pulling books and Hermione let out a breath of relief. He floated in the air, pulling what would be considered his legs under him, tapped his chin thoughtfully, and looked for a good minute at Hermione with a seriousness she had never seen him provide. It slowly turned malicious.

"No!" He burst out in a great chortle, then returned to the books. Hermione opened her mouth again, but Severus beat her to it.

"It's no use." Severus said. "Just let him be."

"I'll sic the Barron on him." Hermione bunched her fists up and turned around, ready to storm out of the room. Severus glided in front of her.

"Miss Granger, I believe I have told you once before your defense is not necessary."

She narrowed her eyes at him. He narrowed his back. Peeves knocked over the spare cauldrons that were stacked so neatly at the back of the classroom. Side-stepping around Severus, she walked to the door.

"Whether you want my help or not he is destroying the classroom."

"As he is, it's after hours." Severus reminded. Hermione glanced over her shoulder.

"Then by all means, feel free to escort me."

...

Hermione walked the darkened hallways, her wand illuminated. Severus had given up trying to talk her into returning to the stockroom to finish her detention, and seeing as he couldn't physically stop her, not wanting to remain behind with Peeves, had followed her.

"Harry and Ron are training to be Aurors." She said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had taken over soon after leaving the dungeons. Severus's lip raised.

"You're telling me this because?"

"Because I thought you'd like to know."

"I have no interest in their wellbeing." He stated, dryly. Hermione shrugged.

"Ginny's trying out for professional quidditch. George is fairing well with his shop. Fred was killed in the battle, did you know?" She looked at him, sadly. Severus looked annoyed, his jaw clenching.

"I'm quite aware."

"I'm planning on going into the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures once I graduate. I want to press S.P.E.W. and make it a recognized-"

"-Again, pray tell, why are you telling me these things?" Severus whispered harshly. "Stop. Granger. Just stop a minute."

Hermione halted in her step. Severus turned to face her. He stared at her, and Hermione grew uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Yes, Professor?" She asked when his pause lingered. Severus rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, sighing heavily.

"You really are insufferable, you know that? Standing up for me though I don't want it, catching me up with people I don't care about, no less wish to stay privy to. Seven years, in seven years not once had we a civil conversation let alone a conversation at all, and suddenly you're acting like we've been sociable all this time."

"I...just...wanted to pass the time." Hermione spoke softly, taken aback by his words.

"Well don't." He said, turning sideways to her, glancing down the hallway, sneaking a few looks at her. He pulled his lips back a few times, then deciding not to speak again, floated on in front of her. Hermione watched until his form became unrecognizable in the darkness before hurrying to catch up with him. Out of habit, she reached out a hand to grab him, but it went straight through him. He seemed to sense it and turned around sharply, she jumped back then straightened.

"You're stubborn, you know that?" She said, unable to help herself. "Do you really want to spend your afterlife as miserably as you did your living one?"

"How I spend my time, Miss Granger, is no concern of yours." He sneered.

"That's not an answer to my question."

"It's the only answer you're getting."

"And it's not going to stop me from seeking one."

"Why did you leave the wreath?" He asked, the sudden question confusing Hermione. She watched his face contort almost painfully, and she thought back.

The wreath...the wreath...

It dawned on her then, the wreath she had made in the Shrieking Shack and left for him, before she knew he had come back. Her eyes widened.

"You knew about that?" She asked, breathlessly.

"Why did you leave it?" He asked again. Hermione swallowed.

"Couldn't I pay my respects to a professor I once had?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"One does not leave a wreath or flowers or gifts for those not respected or thought of fondly." His tone was dangerous.

"Then there must be some crazy part of me that holds respect for you." She answered. "Harry shared your memories with us, the ones you told him to take just before you died, do you remember that? The memories that showed your love for Lily and your unselfish act of protecting him? How anyone can think of you as the greasy old dungeon bat after that is beyond me. Sorry for having a sentimental moment remembering you as a good person instead of another one of Voldemort's mangey Death Eaters that deserves to rot in Hell." Hermione didn't even try stepping around him this time. She walked straight through him, taking the lead down the hallway again. She had turned down a few halls, thinking he had remained behind, and turning to look over her shoulder, tried to hide her surprise when she saw him following closely behind her. She slowed her pace until she was stopped.

"Thank you." She whispered, hesitating before turning around. "Thank you for sacrificing your life for us."

Severus avoided looking at her. He shifted awkwardly in the air before nodding his head into the darkness.

"The Barron is just through that wall. I'll call upon him."

And before anything more could be said, he merged with the wall, disappearing into it. Hermione smiled softly, leaning against the wall to wait.


	12. Babies and Escorts

The class gathered at the edge of the astronomy tower, every eye turned upwards watching the sky, picking out the stars that had been listed for them to find. Hermione enjoyed simply looking at the stars as they were polluted at home, only being able to view half those visible from there. The blanket of twinkling lights over them had been breathtaking, and they had been blessed with a clear sky. The moon, full and as bright as a torch softly brushed over the scenery, making the tree tops below them glow, and reflected back off the lake with such clarity it looked as if a mirror had taken its place if it hadn't been for the squid raising a large tentacle out of the surface and slamming it down causing the ripples that gave it a more watery appearance.

A chorus of crickets and nocturnal birds from the Forbidden Forest provided the backdrop to a still night and would have gone ignored if it hadn't of been for the underlying screechy noise that started low. It was like someone had zipped a zipper, higher pitched, and long. The other noises were so familiar to the students, that this noise was as clear as day, sticking out like a sore thumb. Everyone tried their hardest to ignore it, forcing their full attention upon the sky, and for a while, everyone succeeded. Tina Anderson, a Hufflepuff, had been the first to cover her ears as the noise grew, accompanied by another.

A third zipping noise joined, echoing off the hills around them, buzzing through their insides as the slow bumpiness of the noise matched, then clashed, matched, then clashed again. A fourth just turned the sound into one long, unidentifiable noise.

"I'm pretty sure another one just joined." Marcel Maylump, another Hufflepuff added, he too clapping his hands over his ears.

A headache started to throb at Hermione's temples. The sound wasn't bothersome enough to her to block it out, but she searched the grounds below, zoning in on the one place it seemed to be coming from. She backed away slowly, entered the castle, then exited on the main grounds a few minutes later. As she expected, the zipping-buzzing noise, almost static sounding now had been loudest near the barn they were using for Care of Magical Creatures. As she approached and opened the door, the noise nearly knocked her over.

Four of the Moon Frog cages had their lids knocked off, drawing a slight panic from Hermione as she glanced into each one, searching them frantically to make sure she wasn't just overlooking them. The fifth cage, its lid knocked off too, had been almost vibrating from the noise. Inside the glass, she was able to make out the five frogs. They were sitting in a neat line, facing her, their eyes blinking in a fluid domino effect from the first frog to the last, and when they seemed to notice her presence, fell into deafening silence.

Hermione stepped closer, removing the lid fully, and looked inside. Each frog had formed one large lump on its back. It felt normal, as part of the frogs as Hermione could tell when she poked at the lumps gingerly. They didn't seem to mind, or be in any pain from them. She moved to the window nearest the cage and pushed open the shutters, allowing the moonlight to infiltrate the room, lighting up the barn better than any Lumps spell could have. When she turned around again, she was almost blinded. The dust that had gathered in the cage, the dust that naturally rubbed off from them when they moved and stuck to the glass on the inside, was glowing as bright as the moon itself. So bright, it blocked her view from the frogs from the outside. She moved closer and watched as the lumps on the backs of the frogs began to move. They began to swirl around as if a force inside them had developed a mind of its own, and soon, the lumps jumped off the backs of the frogs looking like small stones. The stones rolled on their own accord around the cage, some bumping into each other, before settling still, basking in the moonlight.

"'Mione!" Hagrid's sudden voiced caused her to scream, and she turned, a hand held to her chest as she regained herself.

"Almost stopped my heart, Hagrid! Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry 'bout that." He seemed to be smiling though he sounded sincere. "You heard that noise too?" He asked, drawing closer. Hermione nodded.

"It was coming from the frogs. I found them all in one cage when I got here. Look at this." She waved her hand beckoning him over and then pointed to the stones that had detached from the frogs.

"I though' it were them. Woke me from a deep sleep, they did." Hagrid peered over the top of the cage. "Sure is bright. Guess they aren' called Moon Frogs for nothin'...would yer look at that."

"They popped right off of them, rolled around and fell still right when you startled me."

Hagrid poked at one. It moved, disturbed by the touch, then did something amazing. Legs began to grow, popping out of the front and back. It morphed quickly into shape, defining itself as a frog. It's eyes blinked open rapidly, then let out an ear shattering zzziiippp! Hermione jumped in shock, Hagrid let out a laugh.

"Looks like we jus' became parents!" He stuck his hand back in the cage, gathered the tiny frog in his hand, and looked at it closely. Besides its size, there was no other factor to tell it apart from the larger frogs.

Zzziiippp! Zzziiippp! Zzziiippp!

The other stones 'hatched,' Hermione watched forming a smile as they, too, appeared just as the first one did. She reached in and gathered one in her hands, bringing it up to examine it closely. It stared back at her, blinking, before moving to her fingers and jumped back into the cage. She gasped. The trail of dust it left on her hands, usually nothing more than a grey color in natural light, glowed brightly.

"Wow, this is amazing! Does the Magical Creature Department at the Ministry know about this?"

Hagrid shrugged.

"All I know is they had'm, didn' say nothin' about babies." He dropped his hands suddenly, the tiny frog let out a noise of startle meant then jumped back into the cage. Hagrid waved at his shoulder, grunting. "They aren' food, Milly."

"Hagrid? What-What is that?" Hermione raised her hand to the empty spot above his shoulder. At least it looked empty, and she would have believed it to be empty had it not been for some of the dust that had gathered on Hagrid's fingers rubbing on a spot, forming a smudge that seemed to hover in thin air.

"Oh." He lowered his head, slightly. "This is Milly, a Snartletooer."

"A Snartletooer?!" Hermione exclaimed. Her fingers brushed up against something soft, her own dust gathering upon the spot and painted out an image of feathers. She had heard of them before, invisible birds, not dangerous exactly, but when clean, they turned invisible and proved to be quite a pest. They were often fond of shiny things and would snatch them right away.

"She jus' had a bath tonigh'." Hagrid said, lowering his shoulder some so Hermione could pet the bird more closely. She let her finger follow the form of the bird until she found the top of its head, and gave it a scratch before pulling away.

"I'm sure she's beautiful when I can see her." Hermione said. Hagrid smiled. "Sorry I went and got her soiled again. Does McGonagall know about it?"

Hagrid nodded.

"Yes, she saw her this mornin', figured there's no harm in lettin' me keep her."

"Looks like you finally got yourself a pet." Hermione grinned again, turning back to the cage. "As for these guys, they're louder than a Mandrake root!How do you suppose we're to keep them silent?"

"May not be able to." Hagrid replaced the lid on the cage, then pulled a horseshoe from his pocket, placing it on top of the cage. "Tha' should hold 'em in place fer now. I'll stay up with 'em. You bes' be headin' inside."

Hermione nodded, said her goodbye, and left. She studied her hands on the way up to the castle, saddened to watch the glow die out as soon as she was inside. She made it up the stairs, and turned down one corridor before spotting a window. Not being able to resist, she went over to it, thrusting her hands into the moonlight and watched them glow once more. She pulled them out, then passed them through the moonbeam again.

"Out for a late night stroll, are we Miss Granger?"

She stiffened, turning around, quickly stuffing her hands behind her back out of habit, and winced as Severus glided out of the shadows.

"I'm sorry, sir. I was working late in Care of, and got sidetracked."

"What's this? No snide remarks?" He looked her over carefully. "What have you to hide?" He thrust his chin at her hands. Hermione pulled them from her back, showing them to her Professor who looked slightly disappointed they were empty.

"Our Moon Frogs had babies tonight. I was playing with them and noticed their dust glows under moonlight." She passed her hand through the moonbeams again, proving her point. "I got sidetracked on my way to the common room."

"Might I suggest continuing in that direction?"

Hermione nodded slowly, beginning to walk. Severus glided beside her.

"Is this an escort?" She asked.

"We just happen to be headed in the same direction at the same time." Severus said. Hermione nodded. She wouldn't have minded an escort, but seeing as he was only headed in her same direction, allowed it to be just that.

"Silent today, are we?" Severus asked after a beat. Hermione smirked.

"Are you expecting otherwise?"

"On the contrary. I'd expected you to have told me half your life story by now."

"Well let's see, I was born in London where I grew up in a Muggle family, not finding out I was a witch until I received my-"

"That was a rhetorical statement."

Hermione looked amused, crossing her arms over her chest as she continued walking forward. A few more steps led them to the stairs that would deliver her to the Fat Lady portrait and she turned, giving a polite nod to Severus.

"Thank you for the company." She said.

"Have a good night, Miss Granger." He said, and she watched him blend into the distance before retiring to her rooms, glad he had not given her another detention.


	13. Girding Potion

*Girding Potion.

by Hermione Granger.

Potions 7

Girding Potion gives the drinker extra endurance that can last for weeks at a time. Proper dosage is no more than two vials.

Ingredients: fairy wings, Doxy eggs, dragon Horace's (toasted), flying sea horses.

Directions:

1\. Add one set of fairy wings.

2\. Heat until the potion turns turquoise.

3\. Add one measure of doxy eggs.

4\. Heat until the potion turns pink.

5\. Add the toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns red.

6\. Heat until the potion turns blue.

7\. Add toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns silver.

8\. Heat the potion until it turns red.

9\. Add three measures of doxy eggs.

10\. Add some dragonfly thoraxes.

11\. Heat the potion until it turns blue.

12\. Add three flying seahorses.

13\. Heat until the potion turns green.

Hermione put her quill down and shook her hand. Girding Potion had not been her first choice, nor her second; Liquid Luck and Veritaserum were both taken. She had blindly flipped to a random page in 101 Useful Everyday Potions, pointed her finger with her eyes closed and decided to brew whatever her finger had landed on. She had done this potion previously, being a third year at the time, and her interest waned as she fought herself to pick again. Professor Snape was expecting a choice from her, and had she started the habit to pick again, she'd have wasted more time than necessary picking and re-picking. She'd even considered making more than one report just to calm herself in knowing there were options when the time came to turn it in. Still, the excitement she would usually feel over such freedom in a task was lost to her.

Shoving her supplies into her satchel, she left the library in need of a walk. The better part of her Saturday had been spent in the library, and she longed for some free time before the sun disappeared. Maybe a trip to Hagrid's would make her feel revived. Her head bowed, she forced her way through a group of younger students, breaking apart their gossiping circle, and dodged a few who had decided to stand in the middle of the corridor. She had taken a turn to a lesser travelled part of the castle, one filled with empty classrooms and from here, would go out a back door. If it hadn't of been for an angry voice emanating from a classroom she had passed, would have taken that back door, circled around to the front of the castle and been down at Hagrid's in minutes. She would have kept on walking if the voice wasn't recognizable, but hearing Severus on the other side of a door that was only cracked open, her feet refused to move any further. She listened for a while, turning her ear to the crack, hoping to hear more clearly of the growling and mumbling coming from the other side. There were no words, any that she could make out at least, only aggravated sounds. She slowly pressed the door open and looked in.

Severus had his back facing the door, front facing a table, and through his transparent body, could see a few feathers lined up on the desk. He was swiping at them, ferociously, and when he couldn't move one, threw his hands up heatedly, letting out a vocal distaste for his situation.

"He's been at it for hours."

Hermione jumped, the voice coming suddenly enough to startle her. Nearly Headless Nick floated beside her, watching Severus sadly, his arms crossed lightly across his diaphragm, disappointment clear in his frosty eyes. Hermione rubbed at her chest, hoping her heart hadn't stopped, and looked back at Severus who was swatting the feathers again.

"I keep telling him he's trying too hard, too anxious. It's possible, definitely possible, but one of the hardest thing for a ghost to do."

"Can you do it?" Hermione asked. All she'd ever remembered is seeing him move and hold ghostly items, only recalling Peeves who could manifest any kind of power to move tangible objects. Nick sighed heavily.

"I can, but it takes a lot of concentration and I become less the longer I do."

"Become less?" Hermione thought for a second.

"Believe it or not, it does take some effort to put an image out there to be seen. We aren't just manifestations by nature."

"Oh." Hermione looked back to Severus. It looked like he had given up, hovering close to the ground, shoulders slumped over. Nick approached him.

"You're going to wear yourself out. Maybe take a break and try again-"

"-No!" Severus snapped, his voice obviously strained. "Maybe you've been dead long enough to not remember, or even care, but I do. I need to, I want to, and I'm not stopping until I-" he saw Hermione, stopping his yelling immediately. He sneered at her, flying so fast she didn't have time to see him approach, and she jumped back into the wall with fright.

"Hold out your hand." He whispered, lowly. Hermione found her arm felt frozen, hard to move as she tried lifting it. Severus grew impatient.

"Hold it out!" He barked. She heaved her arm up, her hand, palm downward, between them and she was shaking. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and she had to admit, she was scared. Severus had watched her deeply, his eyes snapping down to her hand sharply. He raised his own hand, palm upwards under hers. He raised it slowly, stopping right before their hands would touch. She could feel a coolness, almost like a slight breeze had drifted across her hand, and watched as his hand passed right through hers. He brought his hand down, trying to grab her knuckles, trying to grab her arm, and when he couldn't, swirled around so fast the billows of his robes made him appear cloud-like. Hermione remained standing there, her arm extended, a few tears breaking free as she watched Severus, his floating became slow and morose. He found a chair in the corner, and did his best dramatic flop into it as he could.

"Leave." He ordered, defeated. Nick had remained silent, floating out of the room obediently. Hermione turned to follow, but stopped before the door. She had watched him again, a hand over his eyes, a fist made with the other. Biting her lip, she backed away from the door. She stopped a few feet in front of him, lowering herself to sit on the ground. He may have wanted to be alone, but she wouldn't let him. She'd take the verbal abuse and the detentions he'd be sure to assign her, but she wasn't going to let him suffer this alone.

"Sleep. Pumpkin tarts. Fire whiskey. The feel of velvet, of a hot shower after a long and grueling day, of a cool summer breeze or the relief of resting tired feet. But no. The one thing I have to be stuck missing the most is the ability to touch, to feel with my own fingers the pages of a book or the weight of a wand." He sounded exhausted, his voice slow and quiet. Hermione listened, noticing his voice became deeply silky when defeated unlike the heat she was used to hearing from him. She looked at her hand, the one he had tried touching. His fingers had passed through it so effortlessly, she barely noticed them, there wasn't a barrier or blockade of any kind to stop his fingers from pressing through her skin. When she looked up, she saw he was looking right at her. He didn't appear angry, he didn't appear to be anything. A stolid expression didn't fit him.

"I'm sorry." Hermione's whisper cracked.

Severus rose from his chair and drifted from the room.

...

She had made it down to Hagrid's, though her spirits were still despondent and it took all she could to not burst into tears when he hugged her.

"Alrigh' there, 'Mione?" The giant pushed her into a large armchair. Hermione nodded, wanting to express her thoughts and Severus' problems, but knew better. It was not her place to talk about it, and decided to place the blame elsewhere.

"Just homesick for Harry and Ron." She forced a small smile. "Harry owled me. They're making great progress in rebuilding the Auror department. Still have a lot of training to cover."

"Great!" Hagrid exclaimed, turning away from the fire he had placed a kettle into. He reached into his cupboards and brought out a couple of mugs, setting them on the table before taking a chair of his own. "Always knew they'd be doin' wonderful things there."

Hermione smiled softly in agreement. Hagrid gasped, reaching through his beard to his coat pocket, and pulled out a scroll of parchment.

"This came earlier, from the Magical Creatures department." He handed her the scroll, which she took and opened and he continued explaining. "Abou' the moon frogs. The few they have had babies too! Ain't tha' exciting? May have summat to do with the moon cycle and relative planet positions."

"Looks like we'll have to introduce astrology into the class." Hermione said, scanning the letter. "They say it hasn't happened before since the frogs were brought back. We aren't even sure if this is how reproduction happens on the moon." The kettle began to whistle and Hermione jumped off her chair, motioning for Hagrid to stay seated. She grabbed a pot holder and went to remove the kettle from the crane when a sharp bite came across her hand. She pulled back instantly, looking at the small line of blood that began to bead out of her skin.

"Milly!" Hagrid scolded, raising from his seat. He placed his arm next to the crane. "Damn bird, she's taken to sittin' on the kettle to keep warm." He shook his finger at the place above his arm. Hermione giggled, reaching a few fingers down into the ashes and transferred some to the space, revealing the bird's head. The moment she touched Milly, watching her form appear, she gasped.

"Did she bite yer again?" Hagrid grudges. "Naughty bird."

"No." Hermione said, feeling anticipation growing. "No I'm fine. I just realized something." She breathed a few heavy breaths before rushing to her satchel, threw it over her shoulders. "I wish I could stay but I suddenly thought of something I need to do." She sent Hagrid one last grin before running toward the castle.

*taken from Harry Potter Wikia; Girding Potion


	14. Plea for Help

Staring at the bottle of fire whiskey was the best he could do. Drinking it, even in the ghostly form, had no effect whatsoever so settling on memories was the next best thing. He had called a house elf to deliver him a bottle, and after the wrinkled thing sat it down and left, he settled into a comfortable hover in front of it. He drank it through thought, imagining the shot glass had been filled, believing himself to have ingested it, and it was almost working. He would have been happy to get lost in the pretend memory of foggy bliss had it not been for a ferocious knocking at his door. He ignored it, not wanting company, but it came quicker and more demanding the longer he let it continue.

"Come in." He growled, watching the door, waiting for it to swing open exposing the snot who dared call upon him. Nothing happened...except more knocking, and an excited 'Professor Snape?' muffled through the door.

"Come in." He spoke again, growing infuriated with the banging. It stopped, and did not continue. "Blast it." He spat, rising from his place and moved to the door, and stuck half his body out. In the darkened dungeon hallway, he could see the back of Hermione walking away from him.

"Granger!" He yelled after her. She turned immediately, running back to him.

"You're here!" Her face was livid with excitement, something Severus feared.

"Indeed I am." He lifted his chin expectantly, waiting for the girl to continue.

"I'm sorry to intrude like this, but I have found the potion for your class."

His face fell.

"Couldn't this have waited until morning?" He groaned, shocked when she began to quickly shake her head.

"No, no it can't. No, I believe you'll want to hear this."

Sighing, he squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Very well then." And waited. Hermione shifted awkwardly on her feet, searching the hallways.

"Actually if we could speak inside..."

Severus groaned, pulling back into the door. After a few seconds of nothing, he popped his head back out.

"If you'd kindly do me a favor and open the door from your side as I am incapable?" Glaring, he pulled back in. Hermione, red faced, had opened the door and closed it behind her.

"I'm sorry, oh gosh, I'm so sorry. My excitement had me forget that you...um..." She cleared her throat, shaking her head again. "I was down at Hagrid's, his pet bird bit me because I didn't see it sitting there, and that's when it hit me." She was using her hands a lot while talking, and continued using them after she stopped, taking a finger and jabbed it through his arm. "There's potions to make things invisible, and I've read about dissolving elixirs...there must be a way to give you density!"

Snape snarled when she jabbed him, pulling it back from her and hovered back to his drink.

"Out of all the years potion making has been in existence, do you not think someone has already attempted what you speak of?"

"I'm sure there has been." She said quietly. "Aren't you at all curious to experiment?"

"You wish to use me as your guinea pig?" He snorted in laughter, staring at the bottle. "Why in Merlin's beard you think I would accept."

"Why in Merlin's beard would you not?" Her hand disappeared inside her satchel, appearing just as fast with a piece of parchment. "Look, I've already been to the library, there's quite a few ingredients that almost promise success if this is made right."

Snubbing his nose at the papers, he held up a hand to stop her from continuing.

"As it may seem that easy, such is the problem with creation. Liquids to change your hair color, grow out your fingernails, add extra pep into your step would be a much more suitable place to start rather than diving straight into a proven and failed process." He tilted his head. "Why do you care so? It is not your burden to bear if I succeed to lift a quill or not. You have nothing to prove to me, Granger."

Her excitement waned, and her hand dropped. She stared at him, watching as he turned his attention back on the bottle.

"I'm not trying to prove anything to you." She shoved the parchment back into her satchel. "Forgive me for trying to help. I only thought you'd be interested."

"I never said I wasn't." The idea was intriguing, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in the idea. "I just don't like the idea of your using me as an example. I'd like to be sure it would work before risking what life I have."

Hermione brightened a little and moved to a chair opposite him. She heaved her satchel on the table, nearly knocking the fire whiskey bottle off of that Severus grabbed at out of habit.

"Good. Then you wouldn't mind giving me some opinions." She smiled in satisfaction. Severus groaned and sat back.

"Don't forget this is your project, Miss Granger. Any help from me would be considered useless."

...

The next day potions class held excitement for Hermione. She arrived early, settling into her seat and pulling out her books and supplies before the other students had arrived. It would take a miracle to figure out a potion that would work, but Hermione was dedicated and had already promised herself that she wouldn't quit until something was found.

She had made quite a list already of ingredients, and even after the class had officially started, she sat emerged in calculating the best choices. Skele-gro was one, and deciding to make a fresh batch to use was the best idea, one she could tweak if needed. Maybe Mandrake would be useful as well, it's restorative properties worked for those who had been petrified and maybe, just maybe, could restore something untouchable.

"Why haven't you started?" Seamus have her a shove. She was concentrating so hard on the list she had made, she didn't notice he had been staring.

"I have started, Seamus."

"Normally you'd be garnishing your potions with the finishing touches by now. Don't look it to me."

"Stir." She said, pointing her eyes to his cauldron that had begun to bubble. Seamus stirred, but kept his eyes on Hermione as she continued watching her parchment.

"If Snape catches you reading instead of-"

"-it's fine." She breathed, turning a page and consoling with her text book. "I've spoken to him beforehand. He knows what I'm doing." She broke away from the text, sending a soft smile to Seamus. He looked forward to the front of the classroom and saw Severus there, scanning the students, jumping back to work when Severus' eyes fell upon him and an eyebrow raised. Hermione giggled, shaking her head slightly.

"You need to stir again." She pointed out, watching Seamus' potion nearly crawling out of the cauldron. He stirred, but in the wrong direction. The potion hissed, then popped with enough force to splatter some potion onto his face. Hermione sighed and decided to ignore it.


	15. Thestrals and Owls

"Alrigh' 'Mione?" Hagrid paused in shoveling, watching Hermione and had been watching her stand in an aloof state, an arm resting up on the back of a Thestral, her other hand blindly stroking its bones, oblivious to the hoof that was an inch from stomping onto her foot.

"Hermione." Hagrid stated again, this time succeeding in gaining her attention and she stared at him curiously.

"Yer mind's bin wanderin'." He went back to shoveling. "Anythin' yer wantin' ter talk abou'?"

"Just musing over my potions assignment." She answered, returning to brushing the Thestral from neck to tail, being cautious of the wings. They didn't need a brush, but Hagrid insisted it kept them happy and itch free, 'ain nothin' worse than a Thestral with an itch' he told her. Take th' bark righ' off th' trees they will.' Hagrid heaped the pile he had made into a garbage bin next to him, resting his hands on the end of the shovel after.

"Not me strongest subject, but willin' ter help if I can." He suggested. Hermione smiled sincerely.

"Thank you, Hagrid." She said softly, patting the Thestral gently and getting a soft snort in reply. She moved to the next one who eagerly leaned into her. Their bones were surprisingly smooth, calming even as she traced the brush with the fingertips of her other hand. Almost like teeth, when she used to study those she lost at a young age and her father used to explain to her the properties of each tooth lost.

"It's just the potion I'm making hasn't ever been done before. If it has, it has never succeeded." She furrowed her brow. The idea seemed obtainable when she had thought it up, but since studying it for a few days, the chances of it happening felt like finding a needle in a haystack. They were surrounded by haystacks and comparing the two put it into perspective.

"Why not change th' potion then? Surely tha'd be easier than comin' up with one?" Hagrid dragged the garbage bin to the next horse and began shoveling the area around it. Hermione sighed.

"It would be. But I already have my mind set to this one. You wouldn't happen to know of any places around here I could meet ghosts, would you?"

"Ghosts?" Hagrid asked, thinking hard before shaking his head slowly. "No, not aroun' here." He puckered his lips, leaning back a bit. "Why do yeh need ghosts?"

"I'm just looking for volunteers. I'm afraid not many ghosts around here wish to become...well...full again." She answered, pausing only when Hagrid clicked his tongue.

"This hasn't anythin' ter do wit' Severus, does it?"

Hermione blushed. Hagrid gasped.

"Hermione, now, I'm only warnin' yeh, we both know his temper. Not righ' goin' and fixin' stuff like that. If somethin' goes wrong-"

"-he's willing to help me, I just can't test on him." Hermione broke in.

"He's willin' ter help?" Hagrid stared wide-eyes at Hermione as she nodded once then concentrated on brushing more. The Thestral whinnied, almost knocking her over as it pushed into the deep scratch. Hagrid's bushy eyebrows raised high over his eyes, and he continued shoveling.

...

Dear Harry,

I'm glad to hear you and Ron are making progress in your Auror training. How I wish I could be there with you. We're only learning the Patronus Charm and different kinds of Cloaking Charms in Defense, so I spend most of the class in further reading of advanced texts.

Hagrid says to send his wishes, we're making slow progress with the Moon Frogs, they developed babies a week ago, the process, though loud, was intriguing to say the least.

I believe I have settled on my potions final that's due at the end of term. I'm attempting to bring touch back to Snape. It's heartbreaking when I catch him trying to maneuver things around, and the looks he give when students walk right through him in the halls, though I'm certain you and Ron would enjoy it, is purely saddening.

Send my love to everyone.

Hermione.

She gave the short letter one look over before she attached it to the leg of an owl and watched as it leapt from the window, spreading its wings and pumping them a time or two gaining altitude, then disappeared into a bank of low-lying clouds. Tapping her fingers a few times on the window sill, she breathed in a few deep lungfulls of air. The weather was growing colder, the leaves were changing and she'd feel bad if she didn't at least stop to admire the ground visible from the Owlery.

"Enjoying the muck, Granger?" Draco had appeared in the doorway behind her. She didn't turn, choosing rather to focus her attention on the Forbidden Forest that spread across the ground below them.

"Watch your step." She muttered. "Wouldn't want you dirtying your shoes."

"I'll just send them with the house elves to be cleaned."

"You wouldn't-". Hermione turned at this, glaring deeply at Draco who only smiled snidely back. He high stepped over a pile of owl droppings, coming to rest next to her and gazed out the window.

"I've been told of your potions assignment." He leaned his arms against the window, collapsing his fingers together and turned his head to look at her. "Quite a brave task for even the smartest of witches."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. He smirked again and looked out across the grounds.

"I only came to wish you luck." He said. Hermione snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Right." She said. "You searched me out just to wish me luck."

"Well actually," he produced a letter from within his cloak. "I came to send this off, but since you were here, I figured I'd pass on my well wishes."

Hermione smiled smugly, stepped back from the window and began to make her way to the exit.

"I thought you'd also like to know Severus is enthralled with the idea." He stated before she could exit. Tilting her head, she pulled back into the room.

"My father came to visit. I overheard them talking. My father doesn't believe you can produce an effective potion, of course. Says the chances are better in locating the resurrection stone than inventing a potion."

"I'd beg to differ." She answered stubbornly. Draco nodded.

"Surprisingly I don't doubt you. He'd freak if he found out I'm rooting for you...my father that is."

Hermione was blindsided by his remark. She looked him over once, crossing her arms over her chest, but Draco failed to notice her sudden defense. He busied himself tying with one hand his letter to a leg of an owl that had hopped onto his arm.

"Severus on the other hand, well let's just say his views are different." He said.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked. Draco gave his arm a thrust up, the owl leaping off of it.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Draco replied. Hermione's arms dropped and she stepped further into the room.

"What did he say?" She asked again. Draco's lip raised.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I just do. It means something to know what he said."

"Oh it means something, eh?" Draco laughed lightly. "If you must know, he has already begun planning what he'll grab for first. Severus bet you would, and my father gave him permission to slap him silly should you succeed."

"He didn't!" She exclaimed. Draco gave a large, slow nod, crossing his heart. He crossed the room, stepping over the same pile of owl mess, and passed Hermione, turning before he began his descent down the stairs.

"In fact, he even said he'd consider kissing you if it happens."

"Wha-"

His jaw dropped, amused at the thought.

"'To touch, to feel again, I'll be surprised if I don't just snog her right there and then should it happen. Mark my words, I'll be the happiest dead thing haunting Hogwarts the millennium has seen.'" Draco attempted to impersonate Severus, dropping his voice, and even swinging an arm in the fashion he had seen him do. He bowed slightly. "Granger." He said, dismissing himself, leaving Hermione gawking at the top of the stairs, unsure of how to take the news.


	16. Late Night Brewing

While the castle tucked in to midnight, Severus found himself floating hither-to around the castle. There wasn't anywhere special he wanted to be, and seeing as he could only watch the halls instead of capture any kids crawling around after hours, left him rather bored and jealous of those who could sleep. The students, quickly deducing that being caught by him now meant voluntarily following him to their punishment, would often leave, choosing to return to their rooms. Severus had only pushed for detention once, but as he could not prove they had been out after hours, unable to provide any solid evidence, gave up on his watch duty altogether. There were those moments when he'd come across a couple hiding in the dark, being satisfied to only watch them leave, otherwise there was nothing more to do. Which was why, when he caught the glimpse of soft candlelight flickering from the potions classroom, he was disappointed, the thrill gone.

He pushed soundlessly through the door, and relaxed when he saw Hermione sitting at a table, she was watching a cauldron closely, stirring ever so slowly a liquid that appeared black in color, if only from the low lighting. She began to frown, tossing in a few Mandrake Roots, then stirred some more.

"Someone as dedicated as you in your potion making should show signs of lethargy during the day." Severus said, gliding slowly to her. Hermione only jumped slowly, then looked at him.

"I know it's after hours, but I would appreciate if you would let me finish this section." She seemed hopeful. Severus smirked, a lazy smile forming as he came to rest at the other side of the table.

"Normally I would be put off at such a request, but seeing as you're actually working and not snogging like so many others I find, I will let this one slide." He lifted up to see her potion more clearly. "Is that Fluxweed I sense?" There were slow bubbles rising from the depths of the blackness, then remained, quickly sliding to the edge of the cauldron before bursting.

"Yes. I thought it's mutable properties would fit with its purpose."

"...and Mandrake?" Severus nodded toward the pile of roots she had stacked as nearly as possible beside her. She nodded.

"It works for the Restorative Draught."

"I see." He settled back some. "And what, might I ask, are you planning on testing on?"

Hermione sighed heavily. She pulled out her stirring rod and set it aside.

"No clue. I've asked around here, but no takers. You think Moaning Myrtle would do anything to get out of her restroom."

Severus chuckled lightly. He had avoided her as much as possible since his first day back.

"Have you given any more thought to ingredients?" He asked, knowing for the sake of morals when it came to grading the final product, keeping out of her research would be the best solution, but had to admit since she came to him with the idea had become intrigued.

"Boom Berry, bat wings maybe. Even considered sacrificing someone's flesh...willingly of course, but beyond that I'm still doing the research."

Severus scowled at the mention of flesh. Harry Potter had let lose that Peter Pettigrew brought back the Dark Lord by cutting off his own hand, which would make sense to bring back the dead also, but he hoped a potion could be made that didn't involve someone's own sacrifice.

"Have you considered improving a prior made potion?" He shrugged. Hermione sighed again, lowering the heat from the flames that lit up the underside of the cauldron.

"I have." She answered. "The ones I've read about that seem most promising also includes ingredients that are now illegal. I'd like to not be expelled when it comes time to show for my work." She grinned, taking the Mandrake Root and placed it back in the container. She pulled out a large flask, waving her wand over the cauldron, and gathered up its contents. Sending a scorgifying spell to clean up the mess, put everything away.

"You don't have to stop on my account." Severus said. "You have my permission to brew whenever you need."

"Thank you, Professor." She said, hiding a yawn behind a hand. "This part of the process is over however, and I really should get some sleep." She blinked tiredly, as if to prove her point. "Besides, I do not have any test subjects yet. Getting ahead of myself would be rather pointless right now."

...

Animal Ghosts of Britain

by Mopsy Fleabart

Recognizing an animal that has crossed over can vary greatly when it comes to how used one is to seeing human ghosts. Sometimes the animals are just as transparent, shimmering beautifully against any backdrop. Sometimes the animals can appear as opaque as you or me; souls of animals differ from that of humans in that aspect. It is widely believed that due to their innocent nature, they have the ability to force realism upon their appearance. That cat you saw climbing the drapes before you blinked when you don't own one? That fox that crossed your path last night? They very well could just be a curious critter not wanting to draw attention to themselves even though they've gone over the rainbow bridge. The only thing that can associate the living from the dead when it comes to animals is through the eyes. Usually full of life and vivacious with emotion, the doorway to the soul exists here, and they will appear as lifeless as much as the next dead body. Grey, colorless even, when viewed under a full moon a soft red hue may be seen, even if the animal appears healthy and alive.

Hermione flipped through the pages rapidly, stopping when she reached the appendix. She ran her finger down the list until she came across one that seemed to fit her needs.

Capturing Animal Ghosts

It is not recommended to capture an animal spirit. According to the London Spirit Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, even animal ghosts are considered beings and are afforded all the rights that come with them. Capturing animal spirits could even be considered Dark Magic under the right circumstances. If unlawful trapping or taking of a spirit is found to take place, there's a hefty fine including, but not limited to, time in Azkaban (see Marlon Meanderall's book 'Dealing With Charges For Any Crime' for further in-depth details).

For those willing to risk their virtue in hopes of obtaining an animal spirit, it can be done. One would need to fashion a box using either Cedar and Cherry, (Oak or Willow wood may also be useful in certain circumstances. Read below for further instruction on the kinds of woods and their influence on the supernatural). The box then needs to be kept on a silk pillow lit only by a white candle from the inside (it's best to use a fire-repelling spell so the box doesn't catch). When the flame burns out, any animal spirit nearby will be sucked into the box. Caution should be used lest the spirit become furious with its entrapment and take it out on the first thing it sees. This can also lead to infesting your house with angry spirits.

Wood:

-Cedar is great for protection and preservation. This wood is excellent when summoning or capturing helpful spirits is the goal.

-Cherry and its grounded, centered properties can be helpful in hunting, amplifying and working around animals.

-Oak wood may be useful in repelling pesky critters, and should only be used when the expulsion of nuisances is needed.

-Burning Willow wood can help with freeing your home of those unwanted guests, guiding them to other sections of the house, or of a place you chose.

Those planning on capturing animal spirits should do so with the utmost care and consideration and never with malicious intent. Keep in mind, these instructions are not printed to assist you in anyway, only to provide knowledge of facts. They do not represent the beliefs or practices of Mopsy Fleabert, the Spirit Devision of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, the Ministry of Magic, or of Black Cauldron Press. Any action you take is your choice and yours alone.

A shaky breath escaped Hermione when she finished the chapter. She had written in a journal the steps provided for capturing animal spirits, thinking that the Forbidden Forest may house a few. She didn't mean any malicious or evil magic to happen, and seeing as none of the ghosts inside of Hogwarts would assist her, the next best thing was to capture her own help. Deciding to take the chance for the sake of inventing a proper potion, the good benefits outweighed the penalties, she decided a trip into Hogsmeade to find the perfect box was in order.


	17. Into the Woods

Purchasing the cedar box wasn't the problem. It was getting it back to the castle unnoticed, dodging any questions over why she bought it, or what she was going to use it for that worried her. She could get away with saying she liked the box, the intricate Celtic knot design that was inlayed in the top, or the way the soft hues of browns lined up in the grain, even the comforting cedar smell that filled the air when the lid was raised. Her nervousness came from feeling as though capturing her ghosts would earn her fifty years of she was caught, the forbidden feeling of doing something taboo. She was sure Harry and Ron would be right there beside her, egging her on had they been there with her, but they weren't. They were back in London, learning how to capture and detain those who did far less than capture spirits. She feared all the same that they'd turn up, know very well that she was up to something, and haul her off ignoring the fact that the bane of their Hogwarts school years were spent breaking the rules set in place. She held her satchel close to her body, hurriedly making her way down High Street of Hogsmeade, intending to go back to Hogwarts and wait for nightfall. It was then she'd head to the Forbidden Forest and capture what she could. Everything was going as planned.

During dinner, her satchel remained closely beside her, those threatening its aura received a glare before she'd protectively place a hand on top of it. The movement went unnoticed by those around her, though she felt like they knew she was hiding something. The laughter radiating from Parvati and Padma as they joked over their pumpkin juice became a ruse, a secret language that said to Hermione 'she's hiding something.' The sudden scream of a second year Ravenclaw at the next table suspiciously prickled her skin, Hermione swallowed the hunch that made her believe the box was known by all. Dinner slowly trickled by and she was the entertainment of the night when in all actuality, no one even paid her a sickle of attention. The box remained well hidden in her bag, and no one knew any better.

The time spent between dinner and lights out became inscrutably unnerving. If dinner had been her conviction, the table she had picked out in the library was her trial. Though her satchel was well hidden under the table, it was under the brightest spotlight she had ever seen. Madame Pince and her sketchy glares stuck to her like honey, the words in her book she was attempting to read, read to her of a life spent wilting away in Azkaban. It wasn't long before she decided to leave the library behind her and escape to her dorm room where she'd feign sleepiness and go to bed early, if only to escape the imaginary pointing fingers of those gathered in the common room. Making sure to wait a good twenty minutes after Lavender began the soft snores of sleep, Hermione threw back her covers, revealing the clothes she was still dressed in from the day, grabbed her bag, and snuck quietly out of the Gryffindor Tower.

The chilly night air felt good on her skin that had warned under her covers, calming the sweat that threatened to break. She had forgotten a jacket. Shivering only slightly, she rushed through the dark shadows of trees until she broke the definite line of the Forest. It was then, and only then, did she grow aware of being followed. A snapping twig caused her to swing around, her wand held at the ready.

"Lumos." She whispered, the tip of her wand glowing to life, illuminating a small space in front of her. She swung the tip left, then right until she was satisfied there was no one there. Using the light, she lit her way further into the Forest until she heard a snap again, and twirled, raising the wand quickly. Draco wasn't fast enough to dodge out of her sight, and pressed against a tree, preparing for a spell to be thrown his way. Hermione grew tense, then softened as she recognized him.

"Malfoy!" She whispered harshly, lowering her wand. "The hell you doing?"

Draco relaxed considerably, finding himself hex-free and crossed his arms.

"I should ask you the same?" He lifted his head just so he was looking down his nose. "I thought sneaking out was beyond you."

"That is none of your business." Persisted Hermione. "And I would thank you to leave me be."

"I would just as well be content to let you wander the Forbidden Forest alone. Could care less, really, but seeing as I have hall duty tonight, it would go against my morals to allow it." His head still tilted back, he raised an eyebrow. "It would just be easier to tell me what you're up to."

"Research if you must know." She threw her head back, mirroring Draco. "And that's all you really need to know, so if you excuse me, I'll just be on my way." She turned and walked away. A twig snapped and she froze, growing annoyed.

"Research for what?" Draco asked, smirking as she grew rigid. She didn't turn to face him, instead, she barely spoke over her shoulder.

"Care of Magical Creatures." She lied, and took a slow, deep breath to calm her racing heart.

"Uh-huh." Draco said. "I suppose that is why your candid purchase at The Magic Neep today has had you on pins and needles?"

Hermione twisted around doing her best to look appealed to hide the fear that began to grow in her stomach.

"You were following me?" She asked. Draco took a few steps closer, his hand clasping his neck and he shrugged his shoulders casually.

"I was in the area and observed you purchasing something attempting to not draw attention, so naturally I got curious." He explained. "I saw the box, Granger. The one in your bag? What's it for?"

Her hand pressed against the hard shape that rested near her hip. Draco's eyes were drawn to it immediately. Hermione fought for an excuse, but came up empty handed...or rather, empty-tongued. She waged an internal war of petrifying him or giving up altogether.

"It's none of your business." She repeated. "Don't you have anything better to do than to follow me out here?" She asked, wishing he would leave. Draco sucked air through his teeth.

"Catching students in the hallways is great fun and all, but I'm afraid those who travel out of the castle after hours is a bit higher priority." He said. "You might as well tell me what you're up to, Granger. I'd hate to have to wake your head of house at this hour."

The words hurt like a dagger through her heart. She frowned.

"So I'll give you two choices. You can tell me what you're doing, or I can go get McGonnagal right now." He turned slowly, acting as if he'd make promise on the latter part. Hermione growled in displeasure.

"Alright, fine. I'm gathering animal ghosts for my potions assignment if you must know. I would appreciate if you didn't out me."

"Our you?" Draco smirked. "Whatever gives you the idea that I would do such a thing." He stepped closer, prodding her bag with a finger. She turned it away from him protectively. "Alright, I'll cut you a deal. Let me join you and I won't say a word. To anyone."

"Right." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Coming from you I'd say your word is as trustworthy as a Leprechaun's bounty."

"You can trust me, you know." Draco insisted. "I'll let you punch me again in front of the whole school if I snitch."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're actually serious." She questioned in more of a statement. "What have you planned?"

"What have I planned?" Draco smirked, shaking his head. "I haven't planned anything. I have promised, though, to make sure you aren't gobbled up or torn to bits by whatever's lurking out here."

"Who have you promised?" She asked. He shrugged, again looking sheepish as he answered.

"Severus."

She scoffed. Draco held his hands up in protest.

"He saw you leaving and woke me."

"He couldn't escort me himself?"

"Rules of being a ghost. Can't leave the castle, I'm afraid. I was the next best trustworthy choice you see."

Hermione studied him carefully.

"Fine." She answered after a moments thought, leading the way further into the Forest. Draco followed behind her.

When they were well into the heart of the dark trees, Hermione lifted her bag off her shoulder and set it on the ground. She removed the box, and a silk pillow she had borrowed from the common room, setting it up just as her tidy handwriting had instructed. Lighting the white candle she had gathered, she placed it carefully inside the box and closed the lid.

"That's it?" Draco asked, watching the box curiously. Hermione gave an unsure nod.

"That's it." She said, lowering herself to sit on the ground. Draco sat beside her, twirling dirt between his fingers. When the silence became too much, they both began to talk at the same time. Draco asking why she wanted to help Severus, and Hermione wondering why he was helping her. Hermione snickered lightly, opting to answer first.

"He deserves something good to happen to him." She said. Draco seemed pleased with the answer, even if it was short.

"I guess you could say the same for me. I wish I would have thought of it first." He admitted. Hermione blushed. They remained silent again, watching the box, expecting something to happen.

"How long is this supposed to take?" Draco asked. Hermione shrugged.

"Until the flame burns out." She said, sounding lost as it dawned on her she couldn't tell if the flame had gone out yet or not. It had been a good half an hour, surely the lack of oxygen had extinguished the candle by then. She knelt beside the box, lifting the lid ever so slightly, and was caught off guard as a shimmering lizard jumped at her. She squeaked in excited shock, falling on her backside, then burst out laughing.

"I guess it worked." She said, righting herself. "Damnit. I could have used him." She peered through the darkness in the direction the lizard had gone in.

"Try again?" Draco suggested. Hermione nodded sadly.

"I have no choice but to." She opened the lid, lit the candle, and tried again.

"May I ask how you plan on getting the animal to cooperate and not run away when it comes time to test your potion?" Draco asked. Hermione humphed, having not thought that far ahead.

"I guess I'll have to open the box over the cauldron?" Closing the lid, she settled herself back on the ground to wait.

...

A/N: for those of you wondering, the title of this chapter comes from the original Broadway show, not the mediocre remake that came out this past year =oP


	18. Try, Try Again

Hermione,

Sorry this hasn't come sooner. You'd be proud to hear I lost track of time in studying! Ron and I are learning take-down techniques, a lot of hands on stuff in case we're without wands. I've been trying to develop wand less magic, but have so far only been able to accio my broom. It's harder than it seems! Good luck with your potions assignment, I've tried searching a few books in the Ministry, but I haven't found much to help. A lot of poisons and draughts to bring death, nothing much to bring back the dead. That includes the classified information I've come across.

Molly wants me to remind you that Christmas break will be coming up quick and that she's excited to have you.

As for Ron, I'm not exactly sure how to say it but he may be awkward. Still a bit bruised over your breakup, but has promised me to make the best of it. Honestly, he wants to return your owls, but doesn't know how to respond.

Ginny wants you to run by Scrivenshafts and pick her up some of their brand of quills...says she can't find matching quality ones in Diagon Alley.

Always,

HP

Hermione read Harry's letter over breakfast, munching on toast. She hurriedly stuffed it into her bag, holding the toast between her teeth, and rose from her seat all at the same time. There was still an hour before her first class and she had her first trial run of the potion to test before then. Worried she'd be late, she ran half the way to the dungeons, then slowed her speed as she reached the stairs. Knocking the lid loose of the box that hopefully contained an animal spirit was not something she wanted to deal with, especially then. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Draco was seen sticking his head out of the potions classroom expectantly, waving her to hurry as he searched the hallway.

"What took you so long?" He hissed as she snuck by him into the classroom. She glared at him.

"Never you mind that, just keep an eye out will you?" She grabbed a cauldron, lit a small fire beneath it, and waved her potion over to her. She emptied the thick liquid into the cauldron and counted the seconds it took before it began to glow a bright yellow. She glanced at Draco who was watching her carefully and she bared her teeth at him. He snapped back to attention, sticking his head out of the door and waved at her again to hurry, signaling that the coast was clear. It wasn't that the school hadn't become aware of her noble try, it was the fact that she was in hopeful possession of a captured spirit and was quite unsure if its use would cause commotion should anyone find out that she insisted Draco help her in being a lookout.

With the coast clear, Hermione removed the box flipping it on its side so when it opened, the contents would fall straight into the liquid and waited a few seconds longer before the potion was sure to be of the correct temperature. She opened the lid just enough to catch the candle, but wide enough to let whatever had been inside to escape and gave the box a grand shake. A sliver of something passed from the opening, splashed into the bright substance, and vanished. She quickly put the box down, leaning over the potion, and gave a smooth flick with her stirring rod as carefully as possible. Draco had turned in time to see the silvery shimmer of something fall into the cauldron, and inched closer, raising on tiptoe to see better.

"What happened?" He asked. Hermione moved her stick through the potion, folding what she could as delicately as she could before shrugging,

"I...I don't know." She said. She hit the bottom with the rod a few times, removed it, then pushed it in again. "It's gone." She said. Draco had inched closer, close enough to lower his heels and still see clearly. They watched with baited breath until the figure emerged from the liquid, quickly clamoring to the stir rod as if it was drowning.

It had been another lizard, the potion clinging to its form and sliding off as it made progress up the rod, then slid back down, being consumed by the viscous substance. Hermione gasped, swirling the stick around until she saw it grip onto it, and pulled it up. The lizard collapsed against it, exhausted, but only for a second, then fought for grip, sliding off and was swallowed by the liquid again.

"Oh no." She gasped. "No, no...come back..." She swirled the stick around again, unable to find the ghostly critter. Her swirling became more animated the harder she searched, and it wasn't until Draco had grabbed her arm to stop it did she become still. A bubble rose, with it, a small outstretched claw of the lizard mostly hidden in the now stringy potion, and when it popped, it sizzled, sounding much like a hissing one would make through their teeth, a mockery of a failed experiment.

"I'm sorry, Granger." Draco said. Hermione shook her head.

"I didn't mean for that to happen." Her head shook more. "That wasn't supposed to happen." She let the stick fall from her hand, it wobbled dangerously close to disappearing into the liquid, and her hands fell to the table. Draco released her arm, sighing.

"It was a good try." He said. Wincing as the potion began to pop and hiss as more thick and turbid bubbles fought to reach the top.

"A good try?" Hermione snorted. "It was a failure! I knew adding those rose thorns was too much!" She raked her fingers suddenly through her hair, not caring that the action frizzled her curls, and exchanged looks with Draco.

"Without failure there'd be no success." Draco risked saying it, flinching as she smacked at his arm. "We both knew there was a slim chance of this working." He pointed out. "We'll just have to try again."

...

Hermione found herself secluded in the potions room after her last class had let out. She worked feverishly over two cauldrons, deciding on making two batches of different potions. Different ingredients had been carefully measured and sorted, weighed and chopped. A brass cauldron holding a mixture of gnat heads and leaping toadstools came to a boil quickly, almost too fast for Hermione to swivel in peppermint and polypody. The other cauldron, being pewter and slow to heat, held a base of pond slime and starthistle. She was hoping enough that one of them would produce some kind of results, no matter how minuscule and even thought about starting another cauldron just to get ahead of herself. She worked until Draco had appeared through the door. At that time, Hermione carefully packaged her potions, tidied up her work space, and left with him. They went out again. Lit another candle, closed another lid, and waited patiently until they were certain the candle had gone out.

"Do you think you'll ever catch more than one at a time?" Draco asked on their way back to the castle. Hermione shrugged, now beginning to wonder if she should grab another box at their next Hogsmeade visit.

"I don't think it would be too comfortable in that little box for more than one. Unless the animals are really small."

"Being ghosts, do you think they really mind?" Draco asked. "I wouldn't think so. They barely take up space as it is, I hear some can even shrink if they want."

"Where'd you read that?"

"I can't remember. It was a while ago, I think on the back of a cereal-Hermione, wait!"

Draco didn't get to finish. Hermione had been walking a few steps ahead and didn't see what she was fast approaching on. Draco didn't have time to stop her. A littering of mushrooms with red caps and white stalks dotted the area, blending in with the dark. Hermione had brushed against one with her foot, Draco had seen it shrink into itself, dive down to the ground, and a moment later, a large explosion tore through the air.


	19. Fever

Hermione opened her eyes to bright sunshine. The displacement of her scenery caught her off guard and she sat up, or tried to anyway. The infirmary, she recognized it with only a little thought. A searing pain tore at her right leg, her left hand was numb, and her head felt like a thousand trolls were jumping inside of it. She raised her right hand and felt at her temple. Pausing slightly when she touched fabric. A bandage. This piqued her curiosity more and she attempted to sit up again, this time overcome with pain and she let out a howl. Madame Pomfrey heard and ran from her office to her bedside, promptly pouring her a small cup of pain potion, and held it to her lips. The liquid invaded her mouth, she couldn't spit it back as when she tried, more of it filtered between her lips and was forced to swallow. The foul taste lingered long after, clinging to her tongue and coated her mouth with vengeance.

"You poor, poor girl." Madame Pomfrey said, patting a hand delicately against her shoulder then ran it along her forehead. "You were lucky Draco was with you. Merlin knows how long you would have been out there."

"Out there?" Hermione's voice was broken, feeling raw and sharp as the words came out. She cleared her throat, thinking back to the last thing she could remember. The Forbidden Forest. They had gathered up the box and were walking back to the castle and...and...that was all she could recall.

"Ran into a patch of exploding mushrooms, dearie." Pomfrey explained. She clicked her tongue. "I've told Rubeus to mind them. Would have worked in your favor if you hadn't of waited until dark to gather Fluxweed, too."

She sighed heavily, glad that Draco had stuck to their initial excuse of gathering potions ingredients should they have been questioned about their purpose in the Forest Hermione had been aware of exploding mushrooms, had known they resided in the Forbidden Forest too, but they took the same way out as they did in and couldn't remember even seeing any upon entering.

"Malfoy..." Hermione croaked. Pomfrey patted her shoulder again, pushing her down as she tried to rise up again.

"He's well and fine, dear. Well and fine. A few lacerations, maybe a bruise, but came out just fine. He was released a couple of hours ago."

Hermione wanted to ask about her box, dreaded hearing that it had been found and her test subjects released. She only hoped they'd let her heal up before carting her away to Azkaban.

"You suffered some nasty burns on your arm, I'm afraid. Have one large knot above your eye, and the skin on your leg was torn off. It's been healing nicely though, and you may be out of here in the next couple of days."

Oh good. Hermione though. I have a couple of days to enjoy the last of my freedom.

Pomfrey filled another cup with a different potion and handed it to Hermione. She took it, sniffing it carefully. Pomfrey tutted, pressing it to her mouth.

"You just drink it up, dear. Sleeping through this will be much less painless."

Sleep sounded nice, and without further hesitation, downed the sleeping draught in one gulp.

...

The next time she opened her eyes darkness had fallen. The infirmary, lit only by a couple of candles, took a few minutes adjusting to before she could make out her form beneath the crisp, white sheets. She still felt achy, but found that she could lift herself to sitting with half the pain from before and relished in the change of position. Propping up a few pillows she could rest against, she was startled when Severus appeared out of nowhere.

"Would you like me to get Poppy?" He asked. Hermione shook her head, fearing the next potion she would be forced to drink in her presence.

"No, not right now, thanks." She tried a smile, but it faltered as Severus stared at her, his black eyes both concerned, yet dangerous at the same time. She let out a breath, her fingers tracing the bandage that was still wrapped over her head until she found the edge and wiggled it free. The tightness of it was uncomfortable, feeling more like a vice than anything, and removing it brought instant gratification. The fresh air tingled against her skin.

"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked.

"Two days." He answered.

"Two days?!" Hermione shrieked, winced and glanced toward Pomfrey's office, scared she had caught her attention. When the plump nurse didn't appear, she settled back into her pillows once more. "Two days?" She repeated, and Severus nodded. He took a position that made him appear to be sitting at the side of her bed. His hand hovered over the bedsheets next to his leg, as if he was feeling it.

"Sneaking out, after hours, to the Forbidden Forest for..." He paused, eyebrow arching, "Fluxweed?"

Hermione bit her lip. Nodding slowly, she dropped her eyes, unable to look at him while she lied.

"I don't mind what Minerva's little minions do on their own time, but I would appreciate you keeping Mr. Malfoy out of it." His tone wasn't harsh exactly, but it did pull a bit of guilt from her.

"He offered to come along, sir." Hermione said softly.

"And you let him." He pointed out. "Two of you are not needed to capture spirits, especially with a box that size."

Hermione looked up through her eyelashes, still unable to look at him fully. He nodded shortly.

"I know about the box." He said. "And don't worry, it's safely hidden in my quarters." The small smirk that flashed across his face was enough for Hermione to bring her head up.

"No one saw it?" She asked. "Thank Merlin."

"No, no one saw it." He tilted his head. "Why does that concern you so?"

"Well, Professor, I read that capturing spirits can be punishable by law if caught." Her breath hitched and she grew worried. "You're not going to tell on me, are you?"

Severus let out a laugh, his hand pat the bedside a few times.

"Miss Granger. That law exists only for those who wish danger upon the ghosts. I do not believe that is your intent?"

"No, it isn't." She shook her head. "Danger, sir?"

"Believe it or not, there are poachers around here interested in nothing more but the magical and mystical abilities of plasma. It's quite a rather messy conquest. Severs chances of returning to so much as a sliver." He blinked, Hermione felt like his eyes would twinkle just then if they had the ability. "What you're doing is merely resetting their clock. Your failed attempt doing nothing more than restarting their cycle."

"Restarting their cycle?"

Severus brought up one hand in front of her. "They were here..." He raised his other hand to the same level. "And now they're here. Still very much deceased, still roaming the Forest in ghostly form."

Hermione bounced the theory around in her head.

"Like apparition!" She concluded. Severus gave an unbalanced nod.

"More or less. Just an ordered apparition instead of voluntary."

She breathed a little easier knowing Azkaban did not await her presence. The thought alone made her sweat nervously, then she realized that she was just overheating and threw back the covers.

"Is the heat on? I think I'm near a radiator." She could feel herself flushing as she spoke and fiddled with her hair, raising it out from behind her neck. Severus raised a hand and placed it near her forehead. A coolness coated her skin, like a soft breeze, and she closed her eyes under the feeling.

"Don't move." She said. "That feels nice." The feeling relaxed her enough she began to feel sleepy again.

"I could get Poppy if you feel a fever-"

"-Keep it there." Hermione ordered. "I couldn't stand another round of nasty tasting elixir. Just keep your hand there, please? It's nice and cool. Feels good."

Hermione drifted off to sleep, Severus sitting beside her, his hand obediently hovering over her forehead. He couldn't feel the heat she complained of, even turning his hand over so his knuckles hovered against her cheek. Her head leaned into his hand, taking in the coolness he caused. He could see her skin glistening lightly, and looked toward Pomfrey's door. Maybe he should have woken her and alerted her to Hermione's fever, but for some reason, remained next to her. He sighed, pulling himself up onto the bed to appear sitting, legs stretched in front of him, and only shifted uncomfortably for a minute when Hermione turned into him, passing through his torso, sighing as her face sunk through his chest.

...

A/N: well I did it! Won this camp nano! 31,751 words total =) thank you all for reading, favoriting and commenting, it is, as always, great motivation!


	20. Rumors

An infection spread over Hermione, rendering her useless for a week longer than planned. It didn't deter her from planning, however. She had spent most of the week after the fever broke, reading as many books as she could fit into the day before the urging of Pomfrey to eat, or to take medicine, or to sleep came about. She had even written Harry back, explaining about the exploding mushrooms and her healing, leaving falling asleep to Severus' touch out of it. That moment hadn't exactly embarrassed her, for it wasn't exactly the right word. His cool embrace, should it be called that, felt welcome especially in her delirium, but she remembered it fondly and it had snuck its way into her busywork here and there, bringing a soft smile to her lips. He had visited after that, and though they kept silent about the ordeal, she could tell he may have enjoyed it, even slightly, as when no one was looking she'd catch him watching her. Nothing special about it, just a friendly gaze directed at her. It was a nice moment, however, and she decided not to ruin it by bringing it up. She'd let it stay in her mind, something happy to look back upon when needed.

Her potions class was filled with the second part of brewing her potions, taking one at a time to not draw attention, she grabbed the pond slime and starthistle vial, dumping the contents in and watched as it slushed to a steady heap at the bottom. The heating of the cauldron should have brought it back to a liquid state, but when it exploded, spitting pieces of goo around the nearest tables, she knew her week hiatus had destroyed the creation. She sat there, glomps of pond slime slowly streaming down her face. Seamus looked up to her, grinning.

"That's supposed to be my shtick." He joked. She glared, ready to cry until she felt a familiar cool breeze slide over her back.

"Just take a deep breath." Severus instructed, whispering low.

Hermione did.

"Now let it out slowly."

She did.

"And begin again." He waved his hand in the direction of the ingredient closet. Hermione grumbled, standing. Her classmates stared at her. She grew uncomfortable. The chill of his hand passing through her remained as she walked from her chair and into the storage room. There, she rested, head in her hands. She felt warm and worried that her fever was returning, but returning to the infirmary was not on her list of things to do that day.

She pulled fresh pond slime and starthistle from the ingredients, and headed back into the potions classroom to start over. Murmurs followed as she entered the room, and she held her head up, ignoring to the best of her ability the hesitant stares that also followed her. She laid her ingredients out and began chopping.

...

Lingering behind as the class filtered out, she wasn't surprised to see Draco approach her.

"Welcome back, Granger." He greeted, sliding into the seat Seamus had left only seconds before. "Feeling better?"

"I think so." She rested a moment, letting her cauldron simmer. "You doing alright?"

"As good as can be." He answered. There was something secretive about him as he sat there. He gave off the vibe that he wanted to say something, yet he remained silent looking between her and Severus, who had remained at the front of the classroom. Reaching over, he took a swig of the starthistle and rolled it gently between his fingers. Hermione watched him, not wanting to press him to speak, but began to grow wary the longer he kept silent.

"I don't think I ever thanked you for taking me to the infirmary." She said, hopeful that conversation would help him to open up about whatever he was refusing to say. The corners of his mouth curved as she spoke and he shook his head bashfully.

"No need to thank me." He said. "I'm sure you would have done the same."

Hermione smiled. She watched him, looking over to Severus as she noticed his attention was trained on him, and leaned in closer.

"A picture would last longer." She whispered. He flicked his eyes over to her with a curious glance.

"And a thousand words would only make the situation worse." He said more to himself than anyone. It did not go unnoticed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked. Draco had opened his mouth to explain, but Severus' voice came from behind her.

"It meanssss..." Severus paused, pointedly studying Draco with conviction. "...he's curious to find out the truth of a rumor that has been spreading."

"Rumor?" Hermione frowned. Draco drew his eyes downward, looking embarrassed, but glanced up through his lashes at her. Severus had crossed his arms, still looking at Draco though he was speaking to Hermione.

"The night you fell asleep on me in the infirmary, a fifth year Gryffindor had come in sometime during the morning hours and had witnessed the moment." His jaw hung open, pausing between words, and he shifted his glance to Hermione who looked beside herself.

"But that wasn't...anything..." She spoke in the gap, whispering it. Severus tilted his head.

"Nevertheless, it spread like wildfire and now half of Hogwarts believes otherwise-Mr. Malfoy..." Severus' stare flicked back to him quickly. "...it would be wise of you to leave my classroom...now."

Draco jumped as if burned, he looked offended.

"Sir, I would like to stay and-"

"-Ten points from Slytherin." Severus enunciated each syllable as if to drive the seriousness of his dismissal in and Draco scoffed. Hermione scoffed as well, gaping wonders at Severus. Draco rose from his seat and dug through his bag, placing Hermione's cedar box between them, and left without another word.

"You took points from...Slytherin?" Hermione asked breathlessly, wanting to make sure she heard him correctly. Severus remained unaffected, letting his arms lower slowly. She was almost intimidated by his sudden stature as he leaned forward to float his hands upon the table.

"I have assured the staff that nothing has happened between us, I would find it beneficial if you could press the fact further."

"But nothing did happen." Hermione said timidly, not wanting to say or act in a way that would have him taking points from Gryffindor. He sneered, his teeth showing as his lips pulled back.

"We both know that, but to everyone else and the circumstances surrounding it has people doubting."

"The circumstances surrounding-"

Severus looked toward Hermione's cauldron that had begun to shiver as if it too were scared by his presence. Hermione gave it a quick stir to settle it, then quickly dropped the rod as she caught on to what he was saying.

"I'm making this potion to help you!" She exclaimed, looking from the cauldron back to Severus. "It's not like I'm dying to get you back to life, not like the reason I'm doing this is so we can-" She choked on her words for two reasons; the word 'dying' had slipped out unexpectedly, pulling from Severus a distasteful groan, and just for the fact that she couldn't bring herself to finish saying what she was aiming for. Severus pushed back from the table, obviously pinched from her words, and swirled around once, his silvery, billowing robes coming to a swooshing stop around him as he glided to the other side of the classroom.

"I'm sorry." She said, taking an easy breath to compose herself. She went silent, picturing how it must have looked to the student that saw them. Her, laying on the bed on Severus' ghost. Her face fell. She wasn't even aware she was in that position, remembering only that he had placed a hand upon her to keep her cool. Curiously, she cleared her throat.

"Professor?" She asked lightly, cautiously. "You said the student saw me asleep on you?" She shook her head still trying to place the pieces together. "I wasn't on you. I remember you touched me and the coolness of your hand felt good. I told you to keep it there."

Severus faced her. He didn't say anything for the longest time, only matched her gaze before letting his shoulders fall.

"I had sat on the bed when you fell asleep beside you." His voice soft, silky. "You were showing signs of a fever and I assumed I'd keep you cool enough until Poppy made her rounds."

"Why didn't you get her?" Hermione asked.

"You asked me not to." He blinked, visibly swallowed, then inhaled sharply. "Had I known you were worse off than you initially appeared, I would have called upon Poppy for immediate attention, but seeing as you weren't showing signs of discomfort, I made the decision to lie with you until sunrise."

Hermione couldn't look at him. Still unable to call the situation embarrassment, she was a bit pleased to say the least that he'd do that in the first place actually, her cauldron had just seemed to take less power to exert her attention to. She reached over the table, grabbing the bit of pumpkin rind that had been left behind, and tossed it in knowing very well it would ruin the potion, but it helped her keep her attention off of Severus. When she gathered the courage to look up again, he was nowhere to be found.


	21. Mutual, I'm Sure

A week had passed, Severus had not shown up to class meaning they had been substituted by Professor Adner. She had been alright, a little bland, but gathered the students undivided attention easily and though most of them had praised her, wishing she could have taken over all classes, Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly empty he had not been there. Her potion, once holding excitement, now felt like a chore and she didn't like the void of wonder she felt while stirring it.

The Hogsmeade trip had arrived, Hermione had attended only to purchase quills for Ginny, and had been walking along the path back to Hogwarts when she spotted the Shrieking Shack. She admired it from afar, not planning on going in, but unable to shake the feeling that going there would somehow be freeing of the worry that had been building up inside her. She climbed through the fence, walked along the crooked ground that separated her from the dilapidated house, and found the window she had crawled through at the beginning of the term.

The inside was still dusty, though more cobwebs had lined the walls, She made her way through the house until she came upon the room she had left the wreath in on her last visit. It was still there, charmed to look lively, as if it was just picked, and knelt before it. Taking out her wand, she added a few embellishments to the wreath; some ribbon that intertwined through the sprigs of ivy she conjured.

"A few pine cones would look nice."

She paused as Severus made himself known, then added a couple of pine cones to the wreath before turning around. He was floating in the doorway, watching her carefully looking almost peaceful, but on guard.

"When are you coming back?" She asked, skipping over pleasantries and headed straight to the point. She was surprised to find her voice sounded angry, if not perturbed. "Or is your intention to not return?"

"I haven't decided." Severus answered her. "Adner has assured me she'd be fine taking over my classes and from what I've heard, more appreciated by everyone."

"Not everyone." Hermione stood, brushing off the back of her pants. "I find her classes to be uninspired."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you." He expressed a bit of tenderness, allowing himself to drift a few inches past the doorway into the room. Hermione glanced around the walls.

"I thought you couldn't leave the castle." She said. "Draco said ghosts couldn't leave."

"I found a loophole." He said. "We're allowed to visit the place of our death. The only escape we're entitled to...the only way to play hooky if you could forgive my pun."

She sniggled lightly, unable to help herself, then crossed her arms over her chest to help remain serious.

"You didn't have to leave." She said. "You could have at least let me know you were going. Didn't appreciate looking up and finding you had disappeared."

"I...didn't think it mattered." He confessed. It didn't, really, though she had to admit seeing him suddenly not there stung slightly, and settled on shrugging.

"Leaving me to deal with the rumor, to put up with the awkwardness of it all. It was quite rude of you." She wandered over to the window and rubbed a small circle of grime out of the way to look out of. "It's okay though. It's old news. Everyone's forgotten about it and have moved on to the next." She guessed that people had given up on their rumor because Severus had vanished and with it the interest in any facts. The first couple of days had whispers following her, some had said he had been fired and banished, but for the last couple of days it was almost like the situation had never happened. No one looked at her odd, or questioned her continuing to make the potion. She encountered only one boy who had brought something up, but nothing ever came of it, lasting as long as a suffocating flame pining for oxygen.

"I wanted to ask you why you laid beside me." She said, watching a few students walking along the path back to Hogwarts.

"I told you, to help keep you cool." Severus said. Hermione shook her head.

"But why?" She turned slightly to him. "Our closeness thus far hasn't indicated to me a sane reason for you to want to be close to me like that. At least you never let on to it if you ever felt that way." She had thought about it, wondering what drove him to so easily sit beside her. She realized that it didn't bother her as much as it should have, letting her mind wander as far back as a few years before noticing her last true feelings of disinclination for the man.

The respect for him, she found, had started when she figured out he could be trusted. Right about the time he had killed Dumbledore, right when she was torn between knowing there had to be a reason for the act, and having no room to think about it because she was fighting for her life. Admiration? Infatuation? It was only after Harry had explained to her of what the pensive had shown him when she felt a sense of heartbreak. She barely knew him, but at the same time, felt a loss greater than she should have at his death. The past couple of days suddenly without him had her checking the emptiness that returned with his absence. The same heartbreak feeling, only now tinted with some kind of regret, a sorrow she could only compare to the feeling she got breaking up with Ron. Maybe the rumor had forced her to bring about the epiphany that somewhere since the beginning of term she had formed a crush on him. She didn't want to admit it, but the more she tried denying it, the more her brain refused to let it go.

Severus hadn't said a word, letting the seconds pass between them until Hermione figured he had gone off again, disappearing without telling her. She wouldn't blame him, and was honestly shocked to see him still framed in the doorway when she finally looked over her shoulder. Taking a brave step, she walked up to his form and raised a hand, placing it lightly over his chest. He watched her, evaluating the simple gesture briefly then backed an inch away. Her hand hovered in place then slowly lowered, her fingers curling into her palm, as if to catch the chill and keep it tightly within her fist.

"I have no excuse for my actions." He said, his voice cracking. "I hadn't considered the surety of the situation."

...

Severus could swear she could see him shaking. He felt obvious enough anyway, sure that if he had a working heart, it would be pounding away under her fingertips she had pressed to where his chest should have been. It would have been easier for him if she could have felt it, at least it would have saved him from forming an excuse, and his mind was most certainly racing for one. He backed away gently, not wanting to offend her, he realized her touch would have been welcomed if he could feel it, but knowing he couldn't only vexed him more.

"I have no excuse for my actions." He said, his voice cracking. "I hadn't considered the surety of the situation."

He watched as she looked disappointed at his answer and wished he had worded it differently. At the time he had no excuse, just a feeling like maybe it was the right thing to do. And after he was caught allowing it, he couldn't say he was sorry for it and mean it. He didn't want to give off the impression that he regretted it, the past couple of days sealed that decision. He had left Hermione and the potions classroom purposefully before anything could be said, wanting things to fester for a while so it would be easier to deal with, to talk about.

He had spent the time thinking, coming to terms with the fact as he secluded himself away in the Shrieking Shack that his favorite thing about being there was the wreath she had made for him. It was the only thing anyone had ever made for him, and on her own accord, getting to witness the tears shed and the care behind it. At the time he was angered and confused about it, but as the weeks passed and his few trips back to the Shack, he became aware he was growing fond of her, that the emotion she showed touched him tenderly. He didn't realize when he had become attached to her, that snuck up on him without warning. The rumor had only helped make it clearer to him. He couldn't even argue his feelings if he tried, and was glad Hermione hadn't straight out asked him how he felt as he wouldn't have been able to answer without sputtering like an idiot. She was watching him, though and he had a feeling she could sense the truth. The insufferable know-it-all could read him like a book if she tried hard enough just then and he wouldn't have put it past her if she already had.

Bravely, he lifted a transparent hand and brushed it against her cheek, grateful that she didn't have anything to say. Words would have spoiled the moment. Questions would have turned the mutual feeling they were currently experiencing rancid. She closed her eyes softly as he rested his hand there, and she let her head roll softly into it, this time fully aware of her action.


	22. Frog Brains and Moon Dust

The weekend should have been spent relaxing, surrounded by friends, studying only minimally, but Hermione found herself in the potions classroom slaving over a hot cauldron, watching Severus as he lingered around his desk, scanning the reports turned into him by students jumping the gun on the assignment due date. Judging by his grunts, he was not pleased with the words on the pages, and before he could work himself into a fury, Hermione would step away from her cauldron and go over to him, grab a quill dipped in red ink, and write corrections on the page. She'd bend over the desk and he'd hover beside her, pointing a translucent finger to the areas that were wrong, and she'd jot down his notes. She'd force herself to ignore the effects she suffered with his voice so close to her ear, feeling his arm brush so lightly with hers, and retreat as quickly as possible back to her cauldron when the corrections were made.

Their tender moment in the Shrieking Shack had been a mutual understanding, a passing of acceptance between them, but since then, Hermione had questioned herself quite a bit, learning that she couldn't deny he was attractive. She hadn't seen it before because it had never been brought to her attention; ask any girl in Hogwarts and they'd all agree he was the least attractive person in the school. As she thought about it, she came to the conclusion that he wasn't unattractive. He wasn't revolting, wasn't ugly, and under his stringy hair could actually see a refined and handsome man hiding somewhere in there. She hadn't before noticed the velvety finish to his voice, how it became persuasive and polished, as if each word he spoke had meant to be spoken. How when he was with her, those rigid edges seemed to soften, the ones she had grown to recognize as harsh and constantly measuring, now able to spot emotion within if she dared look long enough into them.

The conclusion she came to had been a crush. A genuine, authentic crush that was sure to get her into trouble if anyone found out, so she played it off as camaraderie, keeping any kind of intimacy she may have talked herself into out of it. She had a potion to brew after all, and damnit, he was still her professor. With most of the school year to go, she'd have to forget it, even though she forgot nothing.

She added a pinch of frog brain into her cauldron, and while stirring, swirled a sprig of Motherwart. A cloud of sparkling dust lifted from the concoction and she was blinded for a second through the vapor. She waved her hands in the air to help it disperse, gasping for breath as the cloud only grew. Severus skimmed up to her, frowning.

"Add some Rue." He instructed and Hermione rushed to the potions cabinet, her eyes beginning to water. She could barely see the labeled bottle when she came upon it, and hurriedly poured it into her cauldron. The fog lessened, though was still evident. Severus was barely made out within it, his form blending in almost seamlessly. Hermione coughed a few times as the cloud became denser and reached out a hand. He took it, she could feel the change in temperature when he did.

"It's all right." He said, soothingly. "Give it a moment."

The suffocating cloud changed in color, cycling into darkness, and Hermione squeezed the coolness tighter, almost scared it wouldn't end. She pressed her eyes tightly shut and held her breath.

"You're okay." Severus said. "You can breathe again."

He was closer to her when she opened his eyes, the density had finally let go, although the darkness of the cloud still surrounded them. It gave Severus almost a realistic look, coloring his form, turning his silvery color into a dark grey. He hadn't let her hand go, keeping it matched with hers and was watching her carefully. She gulped in a breath when she couldn't hold it any longer.

"Breathe." He instructed gently. "Sit." He said, and Hermione obeyed.

"What was that?" She asked, trying not to look disappointed when Severus pulled his hand from hers. He placed it on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze though all she felt was a chill.

"That was a reaction to the frog brain. Might I suggest omitting it in this recipe?"

Hermione puffed out her cheeks and agreed.

...

Sitting on the ground, they waited. Twilight turned the Forest into an eerie, charcoal painting. Hermione had tucked away into a book, while Draco dug in the ground around him with a stick. She had been pleased when he had shown up with three more boxes in a large knapsack, saying he thought it would move the process along quicker, and agreed to a point. The potions still took time to brew, but knowing they'd have at least four spirits to work with instead of one at a time made her feel accomplished.

"You know, if this ever works, I'd like at least forty percent of profits." Draco joked, smirking, pulling her attention away from the book. She narrowed her eyes.

"Twenty." Hermione said, marking her page with her finger. "And not a Galleon more."

"After all I've done to help? No way. Thirty five then, and my name on the label."

"Buying a few boxes? Maybe if you'd show up to help me every once in a while I'd consider it." She wrinkled her nose at him. "Twenty one then if you think you're that helpful."

Draco stuck his tongue out. He pushed the stick deep within the ground and swirled it around, picking through the debris he dislodged.

"Twenty-five percent." He said, with a final nod. "Twenty-five percent, you can keep my name off of it and I won't bother you again. Ever."

Hermione laughed, rolling her eyes. "Fine." She said. "Twenty-five percent." She shook her head, opened her book, and continued reading. Draco smiled triumphantly, pocketing a rock that struck his fancy and dug some more.

A half an hour later, just as blackness was crawling upon them, they decided to leave. They obtained their boxes, and made their way without injury out of the forest. Hermione stopped him before the castle.

"I need to go check on the Moon Frogs. Will you take the boxes to potions for me?" Hermione asked. Draco mumbled, but agreed, and Hermione found her way to the Care of Magical Creatures classroom. It was dark, and Hermione lit the candles. She dropped her bag off at a table, approaching the cage that housed the frogs. Lifting the lid, she chose one and pulled it out.

The idea came to her while reading, the book had explained as much about death as could ever be recorded. Passage after passage had told her that many attempts had been made for brewing a solution to bring back the dead, but none had worked. Hermione came to thinking it was because all the ingredients known had been used already. Moon Frog dust was relatively new, there were no potions invented yet that used it, and decided to chance adding them into one of her cauldrons.

"Don't mind me." Hermione said to the frog in her hand as she readied a vial behind it and pressed on the spot that forced a stream of dust from it. Replacing the frog, she gathered her things, and headed back to the castle.


	23. Remarkable

The dust shimmered and sparkled inside of the tube as she rolled it over. Almost hypnotized in watching it, forgetting about the brew in front of her and seemed to struggle as she uncapped it and tipped it, letting it fall into the mixture. It sizzled as it hit the blue liquid, floated on the top like a thin layer of film, and only mixed in when she used her stirring rod to mix it all together. Then she took a box, held it over the mixture, and opened it. Something small fell into it. She wasn't exactly sure what she should have been looking for to see if the potion had worked and watched precariously, hoping something would happen this time.

Something did, a little pink and twitching nose popped out of the solution, followed by a white head and large pink ears. A mouse, its whiskers sticking together, swam around the potion effortlessly. She poked a finger into the cauldron, letting out a breathless sigh as the it passed through the mouse's head, and the mouse ducked below the surface as if spooked.

She stuck her stirring rod in, letting it sit still and a moment later, the mouse was clinging to it, climbing up the rod, and perched on the edge of the potion. There, it began to clean itself, licking its paws and running them over its head. Hermione instantly grinned, watching as the mouse cleaned, noting it wasn't see-through or opaque in any way, but held color that didn't run or fade. If she didn't know better, it would have been a real mouse tidying itself up.

She lowered a hand to it, letting it sniff about her fingers before curiously placing its small front paws onto her palm and scurried up her arm. She felt nothing out of the ordinary, the same cool sensation that followed Severus' touch, and weightless. The mouse settled into her shoulder and continued its cleaning.

"Bravo, Miss Granger." Severus said, pleased as he drifted out of the shadows. "Looks like you've made some improvement?"

"I still can't feel him." Hermione said, eyes glued to the small critter. "But at least he's colorful."

"Indeed he is." Severus stopped right next to her, Hermione's skin prickled from his closeness on its own and she could feel herself blushing. Severus raised a hand, setting it next to the mouse-barely brushing against Hermione's-who leapt onto it with ease and investigated his sleeve.

"Remarkable." Severus whispered, raising his hand so the mouse was at eye level. It looked weird to Hermione, seeing something that could pass for living standing on a ghosts hand.

"And how do you expect to keep him in one spot to see how long the potion lasts?" Severus asked after his moment of evaluating. Hermione shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Guess I'll just let him roam around the halls and hope to see him again." She frowned. She had expected something tangible, having not planned for something that couldn't be restrained. Severus frowned as well, then looked as if he had an idea. He offered the mouse back to Hermione who got it after a bit of coaxing, and watched Severus as he plucked from the air, a cage.

"I'm not sure if this will keep him in one spot, but with any luck, will work." He reached out for the mouse and placed it inside the small make-shift home. Hermione watched as the mouse investigated its new surroundings before curling up in a corner and fell asleep quickly.

"Unfortunately you won't be able to touch it, so I'll just place him on that shelf." He nodded to a shelf on a wall across from them. "You should be able to see him fine from there."

"I never took you as one for classroom pets." Hermione said, smiling. Severus furrowed his brows.

"All for the art of potion making." Severus said. "Now tell me. What did you use?"

"Some bat spleen and flitterby. Some fluxweed, a pinch of Mandrake root..." She grew excited as she neared the last ingredient, "...and some Moon Frog dust."

Severus jutted a lip out as he thought about the list. He seemed impressed, growing more so when the last was mentioned.

"Moon Frog Dust, you say?" He asked lightly. "How did you come across that idea?"

"Well I've read that all known ingredients have been used. Seeing as Moon Frogs are relatively unknown, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."

"I'm glad you did." He said. "Do you have any more ghosts you'd like to try? See if the same result comes about?"

"Well Professor, you're more than welcome to dip your fingers in if you should feel brave enough."

Severus narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head.

"Your eagerness is endearing, Miss Granger, but the potion is still running the trial period and do not wish to get involved at this stage." He smirked. Hermione smiled, then grabbed for the next box.

"Can't blame me for trying." She said as she tipped the box over the cauldron. Another mouse slipped out, and like the one before it, swam in circles appearing as real as the one before it until the stirring rod was offered. Severus held out his hand, let the mouse scamper up into it and he studied it closely just as awestruck as before. Hermione couldn't help but blush as he muttered another 'remarkable' and looked away before she could be caught staring.

...

'Moon Frog Dust, its properties are still unknown, but I have seemed to crack the code on at least one positive use. Taking the ghost of a couple of field mice and putting them into the potion, its color returned. Though they're still missing any sign of solidness, it looks as if they are alive and healthy. There hasn't been any bad side effects, at least in the past 48 hours though they curiously lost color after the first night, receding back into a natural ghost state, leading to another potion bath which brightened them up making me believe this potion can be used over and over again without harm to the ghost or the maker.

In the next couple of days, I plan to test the strength of the ingredients I have used to see if it makes a difference in lasting, as well as potency of purpose. Only a few weeks left until the final product is due. I can only hope for better results.'

Initially, Hermione had planned on turning in a simple thesis. That proved to be too much of a hassle in keeping it within Severus' terms, and had been writing down every step along the way in a composition notebook. It had turned into an almost daily diary dedicated to nothing but her experience in making a potion. She was already two-thirds of the way through and feared having to buy another notebook. She was sure Severus would be overwhelmed, pleased and annoyed all at the same time so she had tried to keep the notebook out of his sight, using plain parchment during her potion making, then transcribing it neatly into the notebook at the end of the night.

Even Draco, who had come into the potions classroom bearing a plate of food, had no idea the paper she was scribbling on was for later placement. He had put the food down on it, scooting into the chair next to her.

"Eat." He said. "I haven't seen you at any meal today." He shoved the plate closer to her. "Eat."

"Malfoy!" Hermione grabbed at the plate and lifted it up, taking the parchment from the table quickly before placing the plate back down and smoothing out her writings. The ink smeared only a little.

"I'm not hungry." She said, pushing the plate back to Draco. "But thank you all the same. I'll be up late so it will make a great snack then."

"Suit yourself." Draco said, raising his eyebrows. "You're spending an awful lot of time here, you know." He paused. "People are getting worried."

"Let them worry." She began to pack up her bags. "I've work to do and a little over a month left. They know where to find me if they need me." Standing, Draco looked to the food then back to her.

"Where are you going?" He asked. Hermione waved her wand over the plate of food, turning the plate into a lunchbox and grabbed it.

"To the library." She said.

"Should have guessed." Draco mumbled. Hermione pretended not to hear.

"I have a lot of research still. Thank you for the thoughtful gift." She said, raising the lunchbox, then left. She made it halfway down the hall before Draco caught up to her.

"Granger, wait." He was panting slightly and she slowed down to accommodate him. He grabbed her arm to force her to stop, checking the hallways around them.

"McGonagal announced the theme for the Christmas Ball this year at dinner." He said.

"Oh?" Hermione crossed her arms. Draco nodded.

"She's calling it A Story Book Christmas. Fairy tale endings kind of stuff...you know." He made a small face. Hermione smiled.

"Sounds romantic." She said, if only to press his buttons a little. His face grew in disgust.

"Of course you'd think so, you're a girl." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I...um..."

Hermione's head tilted as he stuttered.

"I was thinking...I-well...maybe we could...um..."

Hermione stifled a laugh, it coming out more like a cough.

"Are you asking me to it?" She had to bite her lip. His cheeks grew a bright red, clashing with his porcelain skin, and he gave a nonchalant nod.

"Well...yeah, I guess. I mean if you'd like to. Even as friends, if...if that's what you want." He couldn't look at her fully. His head was down and he squinted at her with one eye. Hermione really did have to admire his bravery.

"Oh brother." Hermione breathed. "Look, Draco, that's very kind of you to ask." She watched him a moment before sucking in a deep breath. "But I don't plan on going this year." She half smiled. Draco let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Oh, yeah, that's...fine." He nodded, shaking his shoulders as if getting rid of his nerves. "I totally understand...sure."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said again watching him concerned as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Besides. I'm a lousy dancer and would be stepping on your feet too much." She said, hoping it would soften the moment. Draco have another nod.

"If you say so." He cracked a smile. "Just thought I'd ask. If you change your mind, let me know." He stepped backwards slowly then turned, rushing off to the Slytherin Common Rooms. Hermione bit her lip again as she watched him leave, then let out a snort of amusement.

Maybe I punched him too hard last time. Hermione thought. Never would have seen that one coming a mile away!


	24. Make Yourself at Home

Severus tried to divert his eyes when Hermione entered the classroom. Being late at night, she had dressed in slim-fitting yoga pants and a tank that hugged her perfectly. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and all she was missing was a smart pair of glasses that would have finished off her 'nerdy' look. She smiled upon seeing him hovering there, feigning interest in a jar that was filled with some slimy liquid and a couple of shriveled-three-eyed snakes.

"Hello, Professor." She slung her satchel down on a table and leaned against it. "Decided to keep me company?"

Severus looked at her once, then quickly glanced back to the snakes feeling as though embarrassed to see her in such a state. Over the past seven years he had never seen her in such attire, the effect hitting him hard, sure to have felt a sudden heat rise if he could feel such things. She had mentioned that she'd be there to watch her ghost mice to see when the colors would fade, and he had only decided to join her after a deep internal battle with himself. The little voice inside him that said it was a perfect opportunity to spend some time alone with her, to get to know her better with less of a chance of being interrupted won out, hands down, and for the most part was thoroughly excited to be in her company up until that part. Seeing her now had him considering if it was a mistake.

"As it may seem, I only happened to...be in the area, however, if you wish my company I will be more than happy to give it."

Hermione gave a nod, venturing over to the mice on the shelf and studied them. They were still in full color, having been dipped in the potion earlier that morning. They appeared neutral to the change, coming up to the faint bars of the cage to poke their little noses through, curiously investigating the finger that Hermione had lifted up for them to sniff. She still couldn't feel them, always expecting a tickle from their whiskers, or maybe a cold nose to press against the tip of her finger.

"I wouldn't mind your company." She said. "Two pairs of eyes would be better anyway." She looked to see Severus floating nearer to her, she caught him looking her over just before he snapped straighter, his eye contact fully concentrated with hers and she bit back a smirk. She turned away from the cage, placing her hands on the small of her back and glanced toward the door, then back to Severus.

"Do you think we should move to someplace more private?" She asked. "I mean, if anyone were to walk in and see the two of us, it might spark the rumor again."

Severus bumbled a few times, then gave a silent nod. He collected the cage as Hermione grabbed her satchel, and led the way out of the classroom.

Severus had scrambled his brain, trying to think of a safe place for the two of them to remain uninterrupted, and could only came up with his quarters as much as the thought sent an excited and nervous chill up his spine. He floated effortlessly through the door, Hermione entering soon after him, and he set the cage down on the coffee table in front of his couch, seating himself on one side of the couch. Hermione sat herself halfway, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees and watched him. Severus lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Make yourself at home." He said, sarcastically. Hermione only smiled, and diverted her attention to the cage. It almost seemed as if the suggestion had embarrassed her the way she quickly looked away, and Severus soon joined her in watching the mice.

"Draco asked me to the ball." Hermione was the next one to speak after a long while, and she said it softly. Severus' eyebrows raised the moment she said it, then quickly furrowed together. An unmistakable pang of jealousy settled in his stomach, but only slightly.

"Malfoy? Your dedicated enemy...asked you to the ball?" He asked, more of a statement. She nodded, biting her lip.

"I told him no." She winced. Severus' scowl seemed to relax. "I said I wasn't planning on going."

He wasn't sure what to say. Part of him was strangely relieved to hear she wasn't going, while another part of him wished she would. She deserved it and needed something to look forward to, having this year thrown herself into her studies and the potion.

"The two of you have formed a friendship in the past couple of months it seems." Severus pointed out.

"More like a pact." Hermione sniggered. "I just didn't think being friendly with him would have led to him asking me, of all people, to the ball."

"Why does that surprise you?"

Hermione looked away from the mice, turning more toward Severus.

"Given our history, and what I know about him, I would have thought I'd be the last person on his list he'd consider asking."

Severus pushed his lips together.

"Then you don't know him much at all, I'm afraid." Severus took a breath as Hermione tilted her head. "Draco is very much like his mother, though he'll try to deny it, the boy does has a tender side. I've watched him grow since he was born and know his acts of bullying and malice are nothing more than him trying to impress his father. When he has a chance to be himself, he can be extremely compassionate and sincere." Somehow saying these things to Hermione, each word he said as he said it felt wrong, almost like he was wrapping up his own heart in a box only to toss it into a black hole. He wasn't lying, the boy really was all those things and he wouldn't have said otherwise, but at the same time, he didn't want to speak about it at all.

"But why me?" Hermione asked. "Why me, why now? All he ever used to do is make fun of me for being a book nerd and my looks while growing up. Not once did he ever make it seem like he was interested."

"Because he finally realized you're smart and pretty and now that Weasley and Potter aren't around, he may have a chance?" Severus answered, maybe a little too fast for his own good. Hermione was gently biting her lip, smiling askance at him.

"Pretty?" She asked. Severus' wished he could feel his cheeks flush just about then, and he diverted his attention back to the mice. He heard the cushions of the couch shift as she inched closer, her silence suffocating him. He flicked his eyes back at her. She was watching him, waiting patiently and he only continued when he couldn't take it any longer.

"Yes. Pretty...beautiful-intelligent, and everything a fine witch should be." He cleared his throat, looking back to the mice, growing uncomfortable and couldn't help but shift himself closer to the armrest. Hermione sat there watching him for a few moments more before she had grabbed the small, square pillow that adorned the couch and threw it in his lap, stretching herself out longways and laid down on her side, her head on the pillow, eyes on the mice.

"What are you doing?" He asked halfway between amusement and modesty.

"Making myself at home." She said, then adjusted the pillow slightly. "Don't move." She told him, and just like before, he felt compelled to stay where he was, watching her as her eyes fell closed and began to sleep on his lap. He almost missed the color fade from the mice when the clock hit midnight, and thought about waking her when it happened, but couldn't bring himself to do it, opting to stay there and watch the young woman sleep.


	25. Nutters

A couple of weeks had brought what seemed to Severus, an edgy calmness between him and Hermione. Finals were fast approaching, reenforced by the amount of snowfall as the middle of autumn trickled by. During this time, it was hard for him to keep stone faced in his class as he'd often find himself with wandering eyes, glancing at Hermione and struggling not to show softness. She had worked exhaustingly at every chance, attempting to improve the potion but only being able to bring a few extra hours of color to the spirits she'd gather. A chipmunk had showed promise, lasting until five in the morning with vibrant color so real every hair looked stiff and separated from its nose to its tail, only beginning to slowly fade after midnight until it reached its ghostly form. Any tactile effect was still to be reached and on their last night of watching, Severus had suggested she take a few days off to let the formula simmer in her mind. He had reminded her that her other classes needed attention just as much. For the moment, it seemed to work. She had taken his advice and was most often seen slaving over books and parchment in the library, and at meals in the Great Hall. Her fear of the potion being unfinished was squashed when Severus had assured her, her work had been exceptional already and she still had a thesis to write, even if any palpable results couldn't be obtained. It had been a few days since he's seen her anywhere near the potions classroom and the mice in the cage on the shelf seemed content to remain neglected as it were.

He had been haunting around a second story corridor when Headmistress McGonagal had rushed up to him, out of breath, her cheeks rosy and glowing.

"Oh, Severus. I've been searching everywhere for you. Please come quickly, Miss Granger has hit a breaking point."

She didn't give him time to inquire any further before turning around and racing back the way she came. He followed her as she led the way down to the dungeons. He could hear the calamity as they reached the bottom of the stairs; the sounds of crashing echoed through the stony halls, and as he turned the corner, saw a potions classroom left in a mess. Desks had overturned, chairs were on their sides, and her cauldron with its slimy ingredient had landed near his feet, rocking angrily after she had tossed it.

"I don't understand!" She screamed, kicking at her papers that littered the floor, grabbing her satchel that was now empty and chucked it at the mouse cage. It hit the shelves, knocking the jars that had been on the shelf over. They crashed to the ground, breaking, and the liquids inside spread out slowly.

"I can't get her to stop, maybe you can try talking to her?" McGonagal asked. Severus gave a wobbly nod, looking from Hermione who was going after the mice cage to the elderly professor. She looked hopeful.

"Miss Granger?" Severus spoke softly, as kindly as he could and floated forward, passing over the broken mess. Hermione had stilled at his voice, though she was glaring at the cage, her hands gripping the shelves until her knuckles turning white.

"Nothing I've done has made a difference." She spoke through clenched teeth. "It's all been a failure, I've waisted my time on accomplishing nothing."

"You've accomplished much." Severus said. "You've added complexion to otherwise insipid creatures and that is quite an accomplishment in itself."

"But it's not the outcome I've searched for." He glare deepened and she growled, shaking the shelf as if she wanted to rip it from the wall. Severus glanced to McGonagal who was still standing in the doorway, watching intently and curiously at their interaction. Looking back to Hermione, he noticed her hair had become disheveled, pulled out from the best bun that sat low on the back of her head. Whatever spell she used to tame it seemed to have worn off and it was now framing her, giving her a fuzzy and raged halo.

"You understood that bringing back complexity to the dead was a one in a million chance before you started the project. Need I remind you the chances of it happening are still the same." There was some snap to his words, but he hoped the way he delivered them held comfort and support.

"There's still a chance. Why can't I be that one? I should have made enough progression by now to understand what needs to be done. I'm running out of time."

"You have all the time in the world, Miss Granger. Do not think this comes with a limit. Rome was not built in a day."

Hermione glanced at him finally. She seemed composed, if only for a second, and then she began wailing on him. Trying to, at least. Her fists flew, passing through his chest, his arms, his shoulders. She grunted and screamed, strained as she fought to hit him. He stood there, watching her concerned, yet let her have the moment. McGonagal stepped toward them, only stopping when Severus held up a hand. Hermione began to slow, her strikes becoming weak until she collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Her shoulders quivered and she took quick lungfuls of air, only to let them out with hiccoughs and sniffles. Severus lowered to her, kneeling in front of her.

"Maybe it's best to put this behind you right now." He whispered, reaching out to grab her shoulder. She shrugged as his cold hand fell through her.

"You don't understand." She sniffed a few times. "This has to be done."

"And I'm sure you'll get there, but right now is not the time."

She raised her head, their eyes burned together, hers wet with tears and his concerned for her mental wellbeing.

"I hated you, you know." Her voice was low, broken as she tried to gulp back her tears. "From first year to sixth, I hated you so much." She dabbed at her nose with the back of her hand. "I thought you were a traitor, not to be trusted. Then when I realized your intentions it all changed. Watching you die was one of the hardest things I had to go through. Not being able to thank you, or apologize tore me to pieces and I grew fond of you." She seemed to hold her breath, but a sob won out, and sounded painful as she let it out. She closed her eyes, steadying her breath.

"Miss Granger..." Severus wanted to wipe the tears that streamed down her cheeks away, but knew better. He raised his hand anyway and ran his thumb over her skin. She leaned into it when she felt the chill, her eyes opening. She gave a short, shaky laugh.

"And then you came back." She paused, smiling now. "You came back." She smiled larger, genuinely, but it was fleeting. Her lips pulled into a straight line, she pulled away from his touch. "I know it's silly, spending so much time with you to help you, but all I want to do-" she let the sentence drift off. Severus had since pulled his hand back, but was still listening to her, feeling his own phantom heart beating faster and faster with each passing moment. Her hand dabbed at her eyes and she shook her head, biting hard on her lower lip and she rose to her feet. Severus rose with her, but couldn't stop her from leaving. She ran to the door, dodging McGonagal who had reached out for her, and disappeared around the corner. Severus caught McGonagal looking at him. She darted her eyes away quickly, gathering up the state of the room instead. Severus ran a hand over his face, and joined McGonagal in surveying the state of the classroom.

"As much as I hate to admit it, her intentions are from the heart, Severus." McGonagal said, taking out her wand and giving it a shake. The room immediately began to right itself; the papers gathered into a stack, the chairs and desks leaned upright, the broken jars and their contents emerged together and floated back up to the shelf. Severus found no words to answer her. He could have lied and brushed it off, saying that Hermione was just a foolish student with an inescapable crush that would pass with time, all of it unreturned, but the ache he felt as Hermione ran off would give him away.

"What are you to do?" She asked. Severus watched as the last chair righted itself, leaving the classroom impeccable, and shrugged.

"She is a student." Severus said, the words felt heavy, soiled in truth. "As much as I welcome her intentions, and as much as I wish I could return them, I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done." Saying this aloud seemed to pull authenticity to the matter. Expecting a mouthful to come from McGonagal, he looked quickly to her, seeing her appearing amused.

"Student teacher relationships are frowned upon at Hogwarts, but when those rules were written, it was more or less aimed toward the living." She allowed herself one look around the classroom then stepped toward the door. "As Albus might say in this instance, there is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable." The smile that formed on her face seemed to melt away her wrinkles. "Goodnight, Severus." She said and left. Severus remained frozen there, unable to move as he watched the empty doorway.

...

A/N: thank you again for your patience! I do promise to keep updating all of my stories when I can, but life is getting busy. An application I put in for a police dispatch job was accepted, which means I'll be spending all the time possible to research and study what I need to. If I keep advancing in the hiring process (so many interviews!), it will all be over by Thanksgiving, and then it's all about waiting to start the job. So wish me luck guys! This is something I've been constantly working toward for the past 3 years...FINALLY an application got accepted so it's kind of a big deal for me =^^=


	26. Real Talk

It had been a while since he had seen the inside of the Gryffindor tower and it didn't look much different than he remembered. The Fat Lady had been well asleep by the time he slipped through the wall, into the common area, and made his way to the staircase that would take him up to the girls side rooms, glad he had no footsteps that would alert anyone to his presence. He stuck his head into the door Hermione's room was behind, seeing three open canopy beds and one with its curtains pulled shut. He went to that one, pushed his heads through the curtains, and found Hermione laying awake. What should have startled her only drew a slow blink in response and Severus had to wonder if she had taken any calming potions to put her in such an opposite state since the last time he's seen her.

"May we talk?" He whispered and she blinked slowly again in reply. He pulled the rest of him through the curtains, sitting oddly near the end of the bed, his feet sticking out of the curtains.

"Many a great wizard and witch have lost their minds due to uncooperative potions. I'd hate to see your name added to that list." He said. "Marvis McGlidden, Ambrosia Sweetly, I even remember Horace Slughorn having a moment when I attended Hogwarts as a student. It's to be expected, failure of all things, when delving into the unknown."

"I know." Hermione, her voice lighter than a feather. She hadn't shifted, but was now watching him.

"It's healthy to get angry at your work, but the mistake lies in letting it consume you." He said.

"I know." She said again, then finally turned over to face away from him. She didn't want a lecture. He could see her shoulders shake, and the sound of sniffling tipped him off that she was still emotional. Maybe it wasn't potions that calmed her, but rather, exhaustion? He sighed.

"Silly." He said. "Letting yourself get caught up in a bloke like me." He pulled his feet in, settling himself so he was laying beside her. She didn't seem to mind, she never seemed to mind. "I don't deserve you." He mumbled, running a timid hand over her hair.

"You deserve to be admired." She answered in a mindful tone, scooting back into him, closing the gap between them. He couldn't repress the small upward turn of his lips as she said this, and couldn't help but take in a small whiff of her honey scented hair, but he was bothered by the simple fact that she was living and he was not. Albus would have had it correct, Hermione had become very desirable to him and the the line that was so thin when it came to student-ghost relationships played with his own personal morals; had he been alive there was no doubt that he'd turn a blind eye to her shows of tenderness and receded into habit, opting for other visceral outlets with witches more his age that would use him until he was numb, but she had also been the only one to befriend him as he was now, and the only person to so openly enjoy his company and attempt to help his situation. She had defended him, even when he bid her not to. Besides Lily, no one had ever done that for him. This alone made it even harder to ignore the want inside of him.

"I don't want to be the cause of your missing out on opportunities." He said. "I can only reciprocate so much before you long to be held by able arms."

"I don't care." She snipped, snuggling into her pillow. "Your arms'll do just fine." She said, reaching a hand over her side and grasped the air to pull his hand around her. He obliged after letting her fingers tickle through his hand, laying an arm over her side, but huffed all the same.

"Miss Granger. I may be a ghost, but even in death I do experience feelings and it's not fair to either of us."

She was quiet. Had she fallen asleep? He raised up enough to look over her face, seeing her eyes closed. Settling down again, he breathed in deeply the honey scent. It wasn't fair.

"Just don't let me hold you back. You're a witch destined for greatness. Do the one thing I couldn't and experience life." He had closed his eyes, planning on attempting sleep, but she shuffled and when he opened his eyes, could she she had turned her head just so to look at him, and blinked.

...

Hermione had turned over upon waking, seeing Severus beside her with his eyes closed, an arm thrown over his head. She had been laying in the middle of his other arm, but he didn't seem to notice. For a moment she thought he was just testing his eyes, but all sources from his deep breathing, to a light snore had suggested he had fallen asleep and she sat up as quietly as she could to not disturb him. He looked peaceful, unlike what she had grown used to and smiled softly before pulling a curtain aside just enough for her to get out of bed.

The room had been empty, taking advantage of the permission she was given by Pomfrey - who had diagnosed her with mental anxiety - to miss her morning classes to get much needed sleep, and was surprised when she finally looked at the time and saw the lunch hour was upon them. She dressed quickly, grabbed the books she needed for her afternoon classes, and left for the Great Hall. She took her seat next to Lavender and Parvati who had been in deep conversation about the upcoming ball. Hermione listened for a moment, then feeling left out, picked at her sandwich that materialized in front of her as she flipped open a notebook and began committing the lessons written inside to memory. She didn't get far as her mind was boggled with thoughts of Severus having spent another night with her without invitation. It was a warm feeling that brought a smile she couldn't fight off, and remembering how he had said he didn't deserve her started a few butterflies that flittered in her stomach. She hadn't expected him to talk about her attack, taking him as the kind of person who would sooner forget than to speak his mind. What he said had followed her into sleep, and she did come to realize their situation was unfair, and would amuse him and his requests to live life, but she was far from done with him. Something just felt right. There was a certain sense of luck that no liquid could conjure whenever he was near her. It was like those puzzle pieces she lost as a kid had been found, completing the picture. Even if the situation at hand couldn't fair for the both of them at that moment, she had a feeling something pivotal was going to happen.

"Read your palm?" Lavender cut through her drifting mind and before she had a chance to hide her hand, Lavender had grabbed it tightly between hers. Hermione rolled her eyes, wanting nothing more but to protest.

"Let's see now." Bitting her lips together, Lavender traced a finger along the top line, the heart line, that ran the width of her palm just below her fingers. It tickled her hand, but knew better than to pull away; Lavender would just grab it back. "I see a lover, but it's odd. The line is faint...almost...ghostly."

Hermione paled. Lavender continued looking.

"And see here? This little branch that connects to your head line?" She ran her finger along the line below the heart line. "This is asking what the hell...and I do mean what the hell, are you thinking?"

Hermione snapped her hand out of Lavender's, who had taken to staring with raised eyebrows at her. Hermione's mouth moved, but no sounds came out besides squeaking.

"I was going to wake you up for breakfast. Could you imagine the shock I felt when I saw-" Lavender glanced around their table, then lowered her voice, leaning into Hermione, "-him in there with you? Do you have any idea what this will cause if anyone finds out?"

Hermione could see Parvati over Lavender's shoulder. She had her full attention on her lunch, though she was obviously trying to listen hard to their conversation. Hermione absentmindedly massaged her palm, also glancing around the table.

"I had a break down last night." Hermione found her voice. "He was doing nothing more than keeping me calm."

"Uh-huh. Right. That's why he was all up in your goodies." She whispered harshly.

"He wasn't even." Hermione narrowed her eyes. "We were both sleeping. Kinda hard to be 'up in my goodies' in a REM state." Hermione quickly gathered her things, tucking them into her chest. Now knowing Lavender and Parvati had seen them, the butterflies had only managed to multiply so much that she began to feel sick. "You're not going to say anything are you?" She asked, though she trusted Lavender, there was that ounce of doubt that a secret couldn't be kept. Lavender laughed, waving a hand in the air as if dismissing it altogether, and turned back to Parvati. Hermione turned promptly and quickly left the Great Hall, her lunch untouched.

When she got out into the hallway, she found her back pressed against the corridor wall. She was shaking, her mind reeling with worry. The air around her felt warm and humid and she found the floor had begun to gently wave back and fourth. It was a mystery how she found the bathrooms so quickly, just in time to heave into the toilet. Nothing came up, it had been a day since she last ate, her stomach had been empty.

"Granger?" Draco's voice echoed from the hallway door. She didn't answer, wiping her mouth and flushed the toilet before stepping up to the sink. She saw him in the reflection, he was watching her carefully.

"What is it, Malfoy?" Hermione asked. Draco shrugged.

"I just saw you leave in such a hurry is all."

"I really needed a toilet." She said, drying her hands with a towel.

"I heard about your...um..." He winced. "You feeling better?"

"Never better." She lied with a grin, though her insides still felt questionable. He remained quiet, the silence seemed to play on her honesty and she pushed past him before it could break her down. He ran to catch up with her.

"If there's anything you would like me to do? I mean I am still offering my assistance with your potion if you need it."

"Thank you, but no need. I'm stopping any experimenting." It was hard for her to say, but Severus had asked her to not join those marked loony from failed inventions. It was for her own good, she reminded herself. Draco gasped, grabbed the sleeve of her cloak and turned her around.

"You're not serious!" He exclaimed. Hermione nodded.

"I've hit a stale spot and it isn't doing any good on dwelling on it right now." She bit her cheek. "If you haven't heard, in my breakdown I had destroyed all I had made of the potion and it would take until the end of term to make a new batch even if I wanted to." She pouted slightly, and Draco squeezed his eyes shut in remorse.

"You have your notes, though, right?" Draco sounded hopeful. "I mean you're not giving up on it entirely, are you?"

"I still have my notes." She said. "I made extra copies in case one got destroyed. Besides I still have my thesis to write even though it was a complete failure."

Draco let her sleeve go. They walked together to their next class; Transfiguration.

"I'll still be happy to help when you decide to start it up again." He said. She smiled softly at him.

"That may be a while." She bit her lip, studying him as they entered the classroom. There were a few students already sitting down, but she held him back from joining. "Actually, there was something I'd hope you'd help me on."

Draco tilted his head, waiting as she hesitated on speaking. Maybe it was the fact that Severus had asked her not to hold back, or maybe hearing Lavender and Parvati speak so excitedly about the ball that lit the flame that made her want to go. It could have even been wanting to prove Lavender wrong to hide the secret, but she gripped her books tighter to her chest, nervously.

"I've kind of changed my mind about attending the ball...no one else has-I mean you're the only one that has asked me to attend, even as friends, and was wondering-"

"-Sure, Granger." Draco smirked. He turned, sitting down and Hermione took her seat as well.

...

A/N: I passed the first part of testing! To celebrate, here's an extra long chapter for you all. Thanks for your luck wishes! And reviews!


	27. Color Mortis

Color Mortis (Color of Death)

Supplies Needed:

\- Standard Size Pewter Cauldron

\- Standard Ingredient

\- 1 Mandrake Root

\- 1 Flitterby

\- 1 Bat Spleen

\- 1 Fluxweed

\- 1 vial of Moon Frog Dust

Instructions:

Step 1: Begin by filling a standard size pewter cauldron halfway with Standard Ingredient. Finely grate the mandrake root into a powder. When the cauldron is boiling, add the powder carefully using the Underhill method to make sure no clumps form.

Step 2: Give three clockwise stirs, and one counter clockwise stir. Do not remove the stirring rod from the cauldron.

Step 3: With chopped Flitterby, stir the cauldron counter-clockwise and pour Flutterby in. Let potion sit for one week.

Step 4: After one week exactly, slice a bat spleen into thin sections. Then quarter the thinly sliced sections. Add two sections at a time, every other day until the potion turns a deep orange color. Stir, alternating one clockwise stir and one counter-clockwise stir for exactly six and a half minutes. Add in the remaining bat spleen pieces. Let simmer for two hours.

Step 5: Add one pinch of Fluxweed and lower heat slightly. Let sit for one day.

Step 6: Add two pinches of Fluxweed and lower heat slightly again. Potion should turn slimy and blue. Exactly as this happens, add one vial of Moon Frog Dust. Stir gently counter-clockwise. Potion is complete when it sizzles.

Step 7: Immerse spirit into potion. Gently provide a way out. The spirit will still be ghost-like, but will appear lifelike in color and vibrancy. The effect lasts in majority of cases until midnight. Potion may be reused. Store in an air-tight container, in a cool place.

Color Mortis, named ideally for its effect to bring color to those spirits who have been left behind, was thought up in an effort to assist bringing back to life, at least in a touchable sense, the dead. The instructions listed here, if completed properly, will return to the spirit its normal colors, making them appear as florid as if they have not died. Unfortunately in the time frame given, these results were not achievable.

Of the ingredients used:

\- Mandake Root was chosen as it has been used as a main ingredient in the Restorative Draught, restoring those who have been petrified. Appearing and acting as a human in its natural form, may be detrimental in reversing death, as well as having a fatal cry when mature may cause a favorable reaction in root form.

\- Flitterby, though known for their orange glowing wings and liveliness was chosen to hopefully jumpstart the heart. The beating of its wings, emitting a humming sound akin to laughing, and it's sporadic flighty patterns mimic the workings of a human heart. It's attraction to heat is quite fitting, as the living is warm blooded.

\- Bat Spleen can be added to the Draught of the Living Death to help expedite the potion. I've added it to Color Mortis to expedite the rebirthing process.

\- Fluxweed is present in any potion that includes the changing of one form into another. 'Flux' means a constant change or flow. This ingredient, if not the most important of the -

"Hermione? Do you know where I can find a book on Left Handed Nazel Powder?" Seamus had interrupted her, causing her to grumble a little in the loss of her concentration, but stood anyway and guided him to a certain part of the library and called down a book from the very top shelf. She flipped through the pages, finding the right section and handed it to him open. Seamus took the book, nodding his thanks, and grabbed her as she turned to go back to her work.

"Erm, Sneezewort?" He grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, 'Mione. I'd be searching all night if it weren't for your expertise around the library."

"After seven years, I'm surprised you don't know this yourself." Hermione hissed. "Over here, in the books pertaining to native and possibly poisonous." She called down the book and shoved it at Seamus.

"You feelin' alright?" He asked. Hermione sighed.

"I just want this potion stuff to be done and over with. I can't look at it without my blood boiling. I can't write fast enough to finish the thesis." She explained. Seamus agreed with a large nod.

"Oh I know, that. I can't even make a decent Erumpet Potion without it exploding in my face before it's halfway done."

"That's no surprise." Hermione giggled. "Is that all you need? I really should get back to-"

"-So Malfoy, eh? You're going with him to the ball?"

His persistence irked Hermione slightly. She sighed, nodding.

"Yes, we're going as friends. I wasn't planning on even going at first, but changed my mind seeing as it's the last ball I'll ever have the chance to attend and all. Are you going?"

"I am." Seamus beamed. "With Luna. As friends of course."

"That's great." Hermione attempted to leave again, but Seamus held her back. He held one of his books up, looking sorry.

"I lost the page you picked out, would you mind finding it again?"

"Honestly, Seamus. You're worse than the boys." She snapped the book from his grasp, found the page and shoved it back at him. "Now if you will excuse me." She turned, returning to her desk quickly. She didn't dare sit down in case he'd ask of her assistance again, and gathered up her belongings. Wanting to finish her assignment by the time she retired to bed, she decided to make her way down to the Care of Magical Creatures classrooms where she felt no one would have been to interrupt her.

Entering the classroom, she was surprised to see Draco. He was lingering in the corner, just turning to leave when she saw him. He jumped, startled. She jumped in empathy.

"Didn't expect anyone to be down here this time of evening." She said.

"Yeah, well." He adjusted his collar. "I had a few labs to complete on the frogs and-" He glanced back at the cage. Hermione motioned to his hands.

"You got some dust on your fingers." She pointed out. He rubbed both hands on the legs of his pants hastily, it left contrasting marks on the dark slacks he wore.

"Sticks to you, doesn't it?" He chortled a bit. "What brings you down here?"

"Wanted to finish my thesis in peace. Seems Seamus is lacking on doing things himself tonight and didn't want to be bothered anymore than necessary." She placed her books down on a desk, pulled out her chair and sat down. Draco seemed to get the hint, continuing his way to the door hurriedly.

"I hear you on that one. Everyone in Slytherin is offering great rewards for someone to write their final papers for them." He allowed himself a small smile. "The last two weeks are always the worst. I'll see you later, Granger, yeah?"

Hermione nodded and watched as he left before turning back to her work.

\- Fluxweed is present in any potion that includes the changing of one form into another. 'Flux' means a constant change or flow. This ingredient, if not the most important of the process as to change from spirit to living, a constant change has to be made.

\- The Properties of Moon Frog Dust is still unknown. I came across this by accident, or more by chance, really. After weeks of being unable to force a change, adding this ingredient allowed the spirits to retain their color. How this process is formed is still a question.

Color of Death is only to be used as an accessory, never under any form of torture or ill-based function. It is my hopes, in the future, to improve on this potion and evolving it into the first of its kind - bringing the dead a sense of life.

Hermione read and re-read the parchment. It was a little shorter than Severus' three foot minimum, but she hoped he'd understand. Rolling it up, she shoved the parchment into her bag, stood, and made her way tiredly back to the castle.

...

A/N: Busy week, so enjoy this! I've got a festival at work for the next two days and another test on Tuesday to test my multi-tasking skills...a bit nervous, but shouldn't be much different than whatI'm already used to! Thanks for all the likes and reviews! They're helping me stay motivated and giving me breaks from the stresses of interviewing =) much love!


	28. Perk-a-Boo

"You of all people, Draco, had I least expected to find, at midnight nonetheless, working on a potion." Severus had entered the classroom originally to complete a task assigned to him by Minerva, and half expecting to find Hermione brewing when he noticed the soft light emanating from the room. He was ready to begin a well meant lecture on why he had told her to put a stop to it, reminding her that there was no good reason to continue. Seeing the blonde boy standing there instead of the other had piqued his interest slightly. Though studious in his potion studies, Draco had never been one for spending more time than necessary on projects. Severus floated forward, Draco spinning suddenly and blocking the cauldron from his view as if to hide it, but Severus had already seen the familiar blue hue of Hermione's concoction beginning to bubble.

"Severus-Professor, I...I didn't expect you to roaming around this late." Draco hummed nervously. Severus' eyebrow raised and he looked Draco over once.

"She talked you into it?" He asked. It was the only logical explanation. "Knowing very well I had asked her to take time away, she has you experimenting?"

"No!" Draco shook his head quickly. "No, she hasn't even mentioned it to me. I just figured I'd help her out a little bit, see if I couldn't come across a way to-"

"-you're treading on dangerous ground." Severus purred. There was something he didn't like about Draco so willingly helping her. Jealousy, maybe. Probably. More than likely. Draco winced at his words, but stiffened his shoulders defensively.

"I just think she's into something. Something big. I don't see any harm in helping her achieve it." He turned back to the cauldron and gave the liquid a stir. "And I certainly don't see how this is 'dangerous ground.'"

"I'm sure Miss Granger would appreciate what you are doing to help her, but as it would be, this wouldn't help her regain the mental rest she needs if she should find out and furthermore it is not your responsibility." Severus tilted his head just then, the jealousy building slightly more. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you're smitten with her."

Draco laughed.

"I most certainly am not." He stated matter-of-factly. "I've just come to see her as a good friend."

"Indeed." Severus narrowed his eyes, judging him. "Fine, make your potion, try to improve it, but seeing as I have promised Minerva, you'll have to find other specimens to study on." Severus went to the shelf that the two mice were still settled on and grabbed the cage. He had spoken with the Headmistress and upon her suggestion, they agreed that Hermione needed all freedom from the potion and anything that could remind her of it, including getting rid of the mice as they were so evidently displayed in the potions classroom. Draco scoffed slightly as he watched Severus lift the silvery cage from its spot and even chased after him as he left the classroom.

"What are you going to do?" Draco asked, sounding worried. Severus shrugged slightly.

"Let them loose." Severus said simply.

"But I'll need them if I'm to continue-"

"-by all means catch your own. If you're serious about this that shouldn't be a problem?" Severus took a quick turn, almost knocking Draco over as he halted to let Severus pass, paused for only a moment then continued running after him.

"Couldn't you just let me hang onto them?" Draco asked, looking longingly at the mice. He'd watched Hermione plenty of times and knew how to catch his own spirits, but these were readily available. It seemed easier just to use them instead of spending time to catch his own. Severus clenched his jaw tightly, suppressing a growl. Draco's eagerness to help Hermione was hitting a fine line. As much as he wanted the potion to succeed, he cared more about Hermione's well being. Because Draco would need his assistance in dumping the creatures into the liquid, he'd feel partially responsible for her further problems should she find out.

"You'll have to find your own." Severus stated after calming himself. "I will not partake in assisting you." Severus took another sharp turn that led to the entry hall and drifted through the doorway. Draco quickly tossed open the doors, jogging to keep up with Severus who had hurried across the grounds, only coming to a stop at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There was a pull, a magnetism that refused him to proceed any further; the curse of being a ghost promised to the hallways of Hogwarts. Lowering to the ground, Severus placed the cage down and lifted the latch. The mice had seemed stunned, almost as if they'd forgotten that running free was an option and timidly sniffed the air.

"I just don't understand how it would be a problem." Draco said as he finally caught up with Severus. "I could get a box, you could put them in there for me and that would be it. I'm not asking for any help."

"And I don't want a guilty conscience." Severus mumbled. He gave the cage a little shake, and the mice trembled. One of them, growing brave, ventured to the edge and stuck its head out of the opening. It looked around its surroundings, the gloomy eyes searching the forest carefully. It reached out its front paws, and gripped the cage with its back legs, then cautiously exited fully with a little hop. The other mouse followed, not wanting to get left behind. Draco kneeled down, extending a hand, the second mouse heading straight for it while the first one ventured to the tree line.

Had it not been for the moon, a sliver of it beaming down on them from a break in the clouds, the mouse that sniffed at Draco's fingers would have been lost. It seemed to shimmer in the light, contrasting nicely with the grass, damp with early morning dew. It lifted a paw, placing it on Draco's finger. He gasped.

He had felt it touching him.

He pulled his hand back, the mouse flopped to the ground.

"Bloody hell." Draco shook his hand, sure that his mind played tricks on him. Severus eyed him suspiciously and Draco stared back at him in awe, rubbing his fingers against his palm. He extended his hand again, the mouse raising a paw to climb on again. Just as before, Draco felt pressure. Though the mouse was almost see-through, he could feel the tiny claws, the delicate fingers grasping his hand, and then the weight of the small thing settled in his palm.

"I can feel him." Draco said, breathlessly, confused. Just to be sure, he cupped the mouse and rolled it into his other hand, the weight dispensing as if the mouse wasn't dead at all. "I can really feel him!"

"You're putting me on." Severus whispered, leaning in closer and watched as Draco ran his fingers along the mouse's fur. It certainly looked as if the thing had density; the fur depressed, springing back as if it's muscles were actually there. Draco rolled the mouse to the other hand again, lifting it higher to his face. The mouse pushed its nose into his and Draco raced to scratch it as the whiskers tickled it.

"She's done it! I can't believe it!" Draco said. "But how-" at that moment, he had pressed a finger between the mouse's ears to give its head a run, and his fingers fell through. It was like nothing had happened, the sudden mass of rodent in his hand became as thin as the air and he could no longer feel the mouse.

"Impossible." Draco said, growing anxious now as he tried to touch the mouse again. It was feather light, in fact he couldn't feel the weight anymore.

And then he could.

Once again the mouse gained a sense of being, Draco was able to touch the mouse, prod it, poke it, and lift it up by its tail, and then the mouse fell to the ground. The tail, though thoroughly visible, lost its toughness and became nothing again. He looked to Severus, but Severus was no longer watching them. Severus had turned his head up to the sky, eyes set on the moon. It had been playing with them, using the clouds in a game of peek-a-boo, and Draco understood what was happening immediately.

"The Moon Frog Dust." He whispered.

"It's the moonlight." Severus concluded. "Whenever the moonlight touches the mouse, it becomes palpable."

Draco began to run after the mouse, wanting to catch it, and the mouse, startled, jumped and took off, darting into the trees where the first one had ventured off to.

"Leave them be, Draco." Severus called after him, unable to follow him. Draco turned, pouting.

"But...shouldn't...I mean Hermione has to see this!" Draco called back.

"She does, however, I have an idea." Severus turned without another word and headed back toward the castle. Draco stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking back into the forest as if conflicted before giving up on capturing the mouse and followed the professor.


	29. Wait For It

A/N: Didn't get past the next level of testing. Oh well, there will be a next time! At least I'll be more prepared and will know what is going on. If you guys want an experience, definitely go for dispatcher interviews. They basically throw you into multi-tasking hell. Absolutely love it! Anyway, that leaves more room for continuing my writing! Enjoy guys! I would like to thank Truly Madly Deeply for the inspiration for this story...and thank you all for the love and reviews!

...

Though she opted not to wear a watch, the habit of checking her wrist stayed with her. She sat in the chair watching as everyone else around her had been enjoying the ball, and tried not to get jealous while they laughed, talking with their dates and friends. Hermione ran her fingers down the dark turquoise chiffon that flowed around her legs, smoothing the fabric. She adjusted the velvety, black sleeveless bodice part of her dress, then slumped back into the chair. She checked her wrist again, the passing seconds felt like hours, though the same song still played. Someone screamed and her attention was quickly drawn to the dance floor where a boy had lifted a girl up over his shoulders. The girl kicked, screamed and giggled, and Professor Flitwick, all two feet of him, shook a hasty finger at them and reprimanded the boy to put the girl down. She smiled at the ordeal out of boredom, then checked her wrist again.

"Hey!" Lavender appeared next to her out of nowhere, collapsing into the empty chair next to her and immediately removed her shoes, rubbing her feet. "Great party, isn't it?" She seemed indifferent to Hermione's loneliness until Hermione pulled her lips into a tight smile and simply nodded. Lavender frowned.

"Are you here alone?" She asked. Hermione sighed, adjusting her bodice once more and leaned against the table.

"It would seem that way." Hermione scanned the room again, her fingers playing with the fabric of her dress. "My date hasn't shown up."

"But you do have a date?" Lavender grew closer, interested in this fact. "Tell me, who is the lucky guy?" And after a fast pause, added "and please don't tell me it's the ghost."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, shooting her friend a death stare.

"Please don't call him that. Professor Snape is still respectable." Hermione relaxed a bit, then shook her head softly, checking her wrist again she let out a groan. "No, it's not him. And it's not really a date, we just decided to attend together so neither of us felt left out."

"Well go ahead! Spill, who is it?" Lavender was now poking a finger into Hermione's side. Hermione wriggled away, swatting at her hand.

"Why should I tell you? So I can just be ridiculed by your judgement? I'm afraid you'll just have to wait until he shows up to see for yourself...if he ever does." She muttered the last part under her breath to herself and busied her hands with the plastic cup of punch she had gotten herself upon arriving.

"I promise I won't do such a thing." Lavender almost looked hurt and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms. Luna and Seamus, having noticed Hermione and Lavender broke away from the dance floor to join.

"Hello, Hermione." Luna greeted. "Having a good time?"

"Obviously not." Hermione quipped, then sucked air through her teeth. "You enjoying yourself?" She asked more pleasantly. Luna smiled thoughtfully.

"I'm sad it's the last Hogwarts ball we'll attend, but I am having a good time." She tilted her head. "If your date doesn't show up, you're more than welcome to dance with Seamus."

"Thanks, Luna." Hermione said softly. She had been watching across the room, catching a glimpse of silvery hair that she recognized immediately. Draco had stood on tiptoe, scanning over heads and shoulders, until he saw Hermione. She had held back a smile, the relief she felt when he appeared, choosing to look more annoyed. Though they were there only as friends, she didn't much appreciate his tardiness. Lavender gasped as he joined them.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." He said. Hermione began to speak, but Lavender, becoming protective, stood between them.

"It's one thing to be late. It's another thing to think she's going to forgive you for it. You have a lot to learn if you want to befriend Hermione, Malfoy. That includes being on time when she's expecting you."

"I have an explanation." Draco said. Lavender rolled her eyes.

"An excuse, you mean? Look here, Malfoy. She doesn't need excuses. Hermione needs friends that will be-"

"-Lav-". Hermione stood, trying to quiet her friend, but Lavender continued.

"-honest and compassionate. Not a Slytherin who thinks e can get away with-"

"-Lavender-". She tried again.

"-whatever you were doing. What was it? Lost track of time snogging someone else? Thought about backing out?"

"Why don't you just bugger off, Brown. This is between Hermione and me, you have no right assuming-"

"-stop it! Just stop!" Hermione said, but it was too late for either of her friends to hold their tongues.

"-assuming?" Lavender scoffed. "I do not assume. I know exactly how slimy your kind is and whatever you have to say for yourself..."

Hermione turned, leaving the table. She made her way across the room, not knowing if anyone had followed her. She didn't care, but knew that being in that was not what she wanted. The sounds of the party echoed through the halls, and only disappeared altogether when she broke through a door that took her outside. For a while she stood, taking in the calm ground of Hogwarts. The skies were clear, and the full moon gently illuminated the grounds. She could hear a few soft croaks from the Moon Frogs drifting up from the Care of Magical Creatures shack. It had been chilly, but no snow had fallen. For the moment it was welcome. She breathed heavily, her breath coming out in thick clouds, and she covered her face with her hands, forcing the anger that rose slightly to shrink back down.

Part of it had been due to the ball, and Draco, and Lavender, but the other part had been the stress of it all. She still hadn't forgiven herself for failing her potion, feeling the pestering doubt even though it had been weeks since she had her breakdown. It was heavily on her mind that night, mainly due to the fact that she hadn't seen Severus at all. He had seemed to be in hiding for the past couple of days, and she craved his intellect, his voice, the coolness of his hand.

A hand touched her then, grabbing her shoulder lightly. Her hands remained on her face, then dropped slowly. Someone had followed her, Draco, judging by the masculinity the grip brought, and it disappointed her slightly. She just wanted to be alone.

"I don't want to hear excuses, Draco." She started. "I don't want any kind of reason at all, really. I just wanted a friend. Someone to be there with me tonight to take my mind off everything, to help me forget the past couple of months."

The hand pulled on her gently, turning her around. She couldn't look up, knowing that if she made any eye contact at all, she'd lose herself. She stared, instead at the shoes. They were black, barely visible from beneath black robes, but from the size knew that they didn't belong to Draco. The black robes, so familiar to her, but almost forgotten. The last time she had seen them in clarity was almost a year ago. She drew her eyes up along the row of buttons that held the robes snugly against his chest, then flicked sharply to his face. She collapsed.

Severus reached out in time to catch her, taking her into his arms as she grabbed onto him, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She buried her head into his chest, shaking her head slowly then more quickly as it dawned on her that she was actually grabbing onto him. She pulled back, Severus letting go, scared that he was hurting her with his new found ability to touch, but she only pushed her hands against him.

"How the...you're...how? When? You're-I feel you...how is this happening?" Hermione didn't realize the tears that were flowing freely now, she was too immersed in letting her fingers squeeze up his arms, push on his chest, until she had his face lightly cupped. Severus didn't say anything. He was only standing there, letting Hermione touch him, smiling softly. His eyes shined in the moonlight as he watched her, letting it grow when Hermione let out a laugh, then a scream as she jumped, wrapping her arms around his neck. She squeezed tightly, and he squeezed back, his eyes closing as he gave into the feeling.

Somewhere in the mess, their lips had connected, too fast for either one of them to stop it. Obviously, they didn't care to find out as they hungrily pressed together, minutes passing before slowly breaking away. Hermione's tears were still streaming down her cheeks over a wide smile, and Severus had used his thumb to rub at them. Hermione grabbed his hand and had pressed it against her cheek, her eyes slipping closed at his touch.

"You're still cold." She said.

"Mmm." Severus said. "I'm still ghostly."

"But you're here, I'm touching you, this is unreal!" Hermione fit her fingers through the hand she was holding to her face, and Severus tightened his own around them. "How did this happen?"

"A peculiar circumstance led to it." Severus explained about the mice and Draco. He had explained how Draco had made a batch, unwilling to give up, and upon seeing the mice how he had developed the nerve to try it out himself after a few more specimens were tested. "The coloring only lasts until midnight, but as far as we can tell, as long as there's moonlight, the effect is permanent."

Hermione let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cry, then hugged him again, her forehead against his chest. Severus smoothed her hair with his fingers, pressing his lips to the top of her head. They remained like that for a long while until Hermione pulled back. Severus caught a small sliver of thought pull across her face that only seemed to grow into deep thought.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing." Hermione answered, but that look was still there.

"Miss Granger." Severus said, growing unsure. Hermione but her lip.

"Well, we've come this far." She started. "Why can't we try going for the gold."

"The gold-" Severus only needed a moment to mull over what she said before it dawned on him. She wanted to improve the potion, take the restoration to the next step.

"I've succeeded in making you touchable. I'm sure I could bring you back to life." Hermione said. Though the idea was intriguing, Severus shook his head.

"No." He said flatly. "This is too new, you've only just succeeded in giving the dead density, there's too much to learn before proceeding."

Hermione grinned devilishly.

"Try and stop me." She said, teasingly, before pulling away from Severus and entering the castle.

End of Book 1


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